


Ripples Through Time

by SuperTempsRUs (JaskiersWolf)



Series: Ripples Through Time [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awesome Donna Noble, Best Friends, Canon Rewrite, Donna Noble Deserved Better, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Martha Jones Is a Star, Season/Series 03, Telepathy, Tenth Doctor Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-07 06:37:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 184,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21453640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaskiersWolf/pseuds/SuperTempsRUs
Summary: What if Donna had never turned down the Doctor's first offer to travel with him. How would things have changed?A series three rewrite with Donna. Martha still joins them for some adventures because she's amazing. Eventual Ten/Donna romance.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Donna Noble
Series: Ripples Through Time [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1777279
Comments: 280
Kudos: 261





	1. Prologue

Every single choice in the universe, in all the universes, affects the timelines. What is, what could be, what must be. Some choices are fixed, the fate of the universe depends on them and every instance before them leads to one person making one choice, the only choice. Others are constantly in flux, like little lightbulbs flickering on and off throughout of all time. Most choices don’t affect a single moment of a single day, the universe simply evolves to accommodate the choice, but some choices break off into parallel universes and history is changed in a blink of an eye. 

Example number one. A small choice of no consequence.

On the morning of her daughter’s wedding, Sylvia Noble wasn’t sure whether to wear her pearl earrings or her mother’s glistening emerald earrings. The heirloom had been passed down for a couple of generations now and Sylvia was cautious of wearing them. Only the grandest of occasions would entice the beautiful studs from Sylvia’s jewellery box. She chose the pearls. Her reasoning would be that she would be able to give Donna the emeralds at the reception as an extra wedding gift. Her daughter would finally be married and such an occasion deserved to be rewarded. If Sylvia Noble had believed her daughter’s wedding was important enough to wear her emerald earrings then absolutely nothing of consequence would have changed. Her husband would have smiled softly at her and kissed her hand like she was Helen of Troy herself. He knew the importance of those earrings in the Mott family. Sylvia would have blushed, and perhaps she would have been kinder to her daughter, but at the end of the day Donna Noble would still have been standing in the street opposite a strange skinny man in a suit and an odd blue police box. 

Which brings us onto example number two. A choice that can change the course of time itself. 

We know the outcome of choice number one. The DoctorDonna. The mind wipe. The Time Lord Victorious. 

_“But we had the best of times. The best. Goodbye” _

The sound of two hearts breaking.

_“No! No! Please! NO!”_

Begging for death over life.

_“I don’t want to go!”_

The end of an era, of a man who still had more to give. 

A timeline born out of a single word, a single choice. 

That word?

No.


	2. The Runaway Bride

No…

The word was on the tip of her tongue. This crazy mad martian was offering her all of time and space and all she wanted to do was say no. He was bloody terrifying. Brilliant, yes. Dazzling? Maybe just a tad. But terrifying. That look in his eyes whilst they were watching the Racnoss drown. She’d seen that look before in sharks at the aquarium. He was a hunter, a bringer of death, a ruthless soldier. 

How could she truly trust a man like that?

A man so willing to destroy an entire species for the sake of the Earth. 

And whilst she was on that thought, when did thinking about other alien species become so second nature to her? Jesus Christ she needed a stiff drink, vodka preferably or maybe there was some champagne left from the reception. The reception they had without her. Thanks Mum. She scowled at the memory. 

“Donna?” The Doctor raised his eyebrow at her and rolled forward onto the balls of his feet. Her eyes flashed up to meet his as she was pulled out of her memories. He’d asked her to come with her and she still hadn’t said no. She blinked the snow out of her eyes and sighed. Why couldn’t she say it? 

“Come with you?” She stalled. 

She thought of her life at home, with her mum and dad and Gramps. Mum with her constant nagging about men and children and money, Nerys who had danced with Donna’s fiancée at her reception when she hadn’t turned up. She huffed. Some best friend that was. The endless cycle of gossip and new offices and new bosses and paperwork and filing and…

Gramps. 

He was sick in hospital with the flu. She couldn’t just leave him behind. Could she? She thought of her gramps, how she used to sit up with him on the hill. Just the two of them and his telescope watching the stars. She wasn’t as good at recognising the different stars and constellations as he was but there had always been something fascinating and beautiful and so alluring about the glimmering specks in the night sky. Now she had she opportunity to be up there among them, what would he say if she said no to that?

“All of time and space. It’s yours. If you want it?" The Doctor replied. 

His big brown eyes were shining with hope. Gone were the storm and the soldier, and in his place was a boy who just wanted to see the stars. He seemed younger now, more vulnerable, more…human. Donna laughed at that. Human. How was this skinny boy in a suit not human? It seemed almost incomprehensible. At least the Racnoss was obviously an alien but this man… this wonderful brilliant man… he just seemed a little eccentric. If she hadn’t have seen the things she had today then she never would have believed him. 

“I bet you say that to all the girls.” She teased and swatted him on the arm. He ran his hands through his hair. It was all soggy now but still hadn’t lost all of its spike, perhaps it was some martian magic?

“Well…” He trailed off. “Only the special ones.”

“Oh pull the other one, you daft Martian. I’m not special. You said it yourself.” Donna snapped back. 

_You're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important. _

Words that hadn’t stopped running through her head since he’d said them. It was like those few seconds had been caught on tape and was just looping round and round in her mind. 

_You're not special._

It wasn’t fair. Just when she thought she’d found someone different. 

_You're not powerful._

Someone that got her. 

_You're not connected._

Someone that believed in her.

_You're not clever._

Someone that thought she was worth it.

_You're not important._

She wanted to scream. 

This Doctor was just the same as the rest. She felt tears prick in her eyes and she stared down at the ground defiantly. She would not let him see her cry over this. She was better than that. She watched the snowflakes slowly begin to cover the ground. Normally it would have melted the second it hit the damp tarmac but apparently snow was something else Time Lords could do better than humans. Stupid aliens. She shivered and hugged her arms tighter to her chest. Bloody wedding dress. It was not designed for the winter. Who on Earth thought getting married in December was a good idea? 

Oh yeah… That was her. Next time she’d decided she’d go for Hawaii instead, maybe Italy, maybe an Italian? 

Come on Donna, just say no! She thought to herself fiercely, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. The word was almost falling off her lips when the Doctor spoke. 

“I’m sorry.” He said quietly.

“You what?” She stared at him in shock. 

“I’m sorry. I was wrong, and believe me I do not get to say that very often.” He offered her a small half smile. His hair was all ruffled from where his hands at been pulling anxiously at it and he seemed almost half the size as he had done when he was facing the Empress of the Racnoss. “You are special. You’re brilliant, and far cleverer than Lance realised” He paused and took a deep breath. “Cleverer than I realised too” He amended. “And, today you were very important.”

“We saved the world.” Donna pointed out. 

“That we did Donna Noble, and I couldn’t have done it without you!" The Doctor insisted. 

His hair was starting to look completely white as more and more snowflakes settled on his head. He had to blink frequently to keep the snowflakes out of his eyes, and Donna could feel her own eyelashes get heavier with the weight of the icy water. Her nose was beginning to tingle from the cold and her ears were stinging underneath her damp hair. She needed to make a decision. It wasn’t fair to either of them to keep them standing out in the cold. She would send the Doctor on his merry way, back into his wonderful blue box and into the universe. 

“Ok then.” She blurted out. 

“Ok?” He tilted his head.

“I’ll come.” 

Donna gasped as the words fell out of her mouth and clamped her hand over her lips. That was the complete opposite of what she’d been meaning to say. She was going to say no! She was going to tell him it was too dangerous and exciting for her. She was going to tell him to make sure he still managed to find someone else…

But her heart had had other ideas. The idea of more days like today sent a thrill through her body. She knew that life with the Doctor would be absolutely incredible and never boring. She wouldn’t have to keep going from job to job without going anywhere and listening to her mother nagging her day in and day out. It would be a whole new start for Donna and one she had never expected to find so late in life. 

“You’ll…?” He gaped for a second whilst he processed her words. “Donna!” She was suddenly swept off her feet as he pulled her into a hug and spun her round. 

“Just for the record I was going to say no!” She half screamed as he flung her around in circles. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck so she didn’t fall and her feet brushed against the edge of the Tardis. For a skinny streak of nothing he was certainly stronger than he looked. 

“Oh, of course.” He played along, grinning as he lowered her back onto the ground. She almost slipped on the icy pavement but luckily his hands were still around her waist…

His hands were still around her waist. 

“Oi!” She yelled and he jumped back in surprise. “Hands!” She gave him a pointed look. 

“Sorry, I just. I thought…” He stammered. “Hands. Right yeah. Sorry.” 

He looked like a teenage boy who had just been told off by the headmistress at school and boy did Donna find that hilarious. She gave him a fond smile and turned back towards her house. 

“Come on then, Spaceman!” She called behind her shoulder. He was still stood stoically by the Tardis, a look of genuine fear in his eyes. “What?”

"The Tardis is this way Donna.” He pointed to the box behind him. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, pulling him back towards her house. 

“I know that, Dumbo!” She grinned at him. He let her pull him to the house, even though she was pretty sure he could have resisted if he wanted to. 

“All of time and space!” He insisted. The Time Lord was starting to sound like her gramps did whenever Mum tried to get the whole extended family together for Boxing Day. Gramps never did like the big social family gatherings. He’d much rather be up on the hill with his telescope and the stars, something that had only gotten more pronounced after her nan had died. 

“Yup.” She agreed. 

“So why are we going that way?” He pleaded but still let himself be pulled along the garden path. 

When they reached the doorstep Donna turned to face him. He seemed genuinely confused. What did he expect to happen? That she would drop everything and run into the time vortex with him on Christmas Eve, in her wedding dress, her ruined wedding dress, without even saying goodbye to her family? She studied his face for moment before she realised that that was exactly what he expected to happen. 

“That friend of yours. What was her name?” She asked. 

“What?” He raised his eyebrow at her, and Donna could see the moment he put his walls back up. “What’s that got to do with this?” Donna sighed and just gave him a pointed look. They stood in silence for a few seconds, neither one wanting to back down before the Doctor nodded and glanced over his shoulder. “Rose.” 

“And Rose’s family. What happened to them when she decided to travel with you? Did they know?” Donna tilted her head as she accessed his reactions. He shuffled awkwardly under her gaze and she knew instantly that she was right. 

“No.” He admitted. 

“Go on.” She kept her eyes on his, determined to stand her ground. 

“I. Well… I made a mistake." The Doctor said quietly. Donna resisted the urge to make a joke about that being twice in one day, but even she could realise now was probably not the best time to interrupt, not if she wanted some answers about the man she was going to travel with. “I got the time coordinates wrong. Only by one number.” The storm in his eyes was beginning to swirl again. “She was missing for a year.”

“Don’t you see? I have to tell them. Not everything. Not about aliens, and space and time, but…something.” Donna squeezed his hand and prayed to someone that he would understand. “And Lance. I can’t leave his family not knowing Doctor. Help me give them some peace.” 

“I don’t. I can’t. Donna, please, can we just go back to the Tardis? I’ll call UNIT, get them to run clean up. Lance’s family will be spoken to.” He grabbed her by the shoulders, not hard enough to hurt her but hard enough that it was uncomfortable. She’d pushed too hard. She’d blown it. He would runaway, like he always did, without her. 

“Fine. You can call UNIT but I still have to tell Mum and Dad I’m leaving.” He pulled her into a tight hug and whispered a thank you in her ear. “What do you think? Rich Doctor travels the world helping people who have no one else to turn to? That sounds close enough to the truth right?”

“Oh you are brilliant you are!” He grinned. All traces of the fear and pain from his eyes had vanished. Donna wondered to herself how he was able to flick the switch so quickly. Maybe the energy and the dazzling smiles weren’t all they seemed. 

“Shush.” She batted him on the chest and blushed at the compliment. “Don’t be ridiculous. Now why would a rich doctor want a temp from Chiswick to travel with him?”

“Because you’re brilliant.” He repeated as if it was the most obvious reason in the world. 

Donna rolled her eyes. It seemed like she was going to have to get used to hearing that if she really did want to travel with him. It must have been the third time he’d called her that since they’d returned to Chiswick, but it wasn’t a good enough excuse. Not for Sylvia Noble. Her mother didn’t believe she was good enough for Lance, Head of HR. She would never believe that Donna was good enough for a wealthy Doctor who travels the world saving humanity, not even as a friend. Donna wasn’t sure she believed it either. She’d just gotten lucky. He was probably rebounding from this Rose friend of his. 

“Firstly, you’re starting to sound like a broken record and Secondly, my mother would never believe it.” She smiled weakly, not letting him see how much that cut her up inside. Nothing would ever be good enough for her mother. 

“Why not?” He seemed to genuinely not understand. “It’s true.” 

Donna huffed a disbelieving laugh and pushed him inside the small house. She was starting to get cold, her wedding dress was soaked and thanks to the Doctor it was bloody freezing outside now. It was the perfect recipe for hypothermia. “Just get inside and dazzle her you prawn. I’m going to pack.”

“Wait what?” He stuttered as he stumbled over the doorstep. His long legs flailing behind him and his coat flapping in the breeze caused from the sudden movement. 

Donna grinned and launched up the stairs towards her bedroom, leaving the Doctor downstairs in the hall. The house was warm and she could hear the sound of Wham playing on the radio, Last Christmas. That thought made Donna shudder. Today had really proved to her that she had to live every single day. No more moping about waiting for life to find her. She was going out and finding her own life, with the Doctor to guide her. Last Christmas, she pondered, for Lance it had been. It had very nearly been Donna’s too, and who knew whether her gramps would get better in time for next year’s. She sighed, nothing like a life threatening event to make you realise how short life could be. 

Her dress clung to her body uncomfortably and it was heavy from the water it had absorbed from under the Thames. What she really needed was a long hot shower and a cup of tea, maybe a nap. It had been a long day after all. She sighed as she shut the door behind her. 

Her room was the same as it always was. The dark purple walls and bedsheets never changed, and yet now everything was different. She never thought she would return to this room. She was supposed to be en route to Morocco with her new husband for their honeymoon and then back to his flat to start their life together, but instead she was back in her childhood bedroom in a destroyed wedding dress, still single and having seen the beginning of the Earth itself. Suddenly her bedroom seemed unbearably small. You couldn’t even fit the Tardis in this room, the outside of course not the inside. She had a feeling that no space would be big enough to fit the inside of the Tardis, certainly not one she could comprehend.

Donna peeled off her wedding dress and wrapped her fluffy dressing gown around her. It was warm and soft against her skin and honestly it felt like heaven after spending all day in a wedding dress. She kicked off her shoes and fell backwards onto her bed. As she stared up at the ceiling she could hear her mother’s shrill voice shouting up the stairs. She groaned and buried her head in her pillow. She couldn’t do this right now.

She dashed into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She sighed in relief as she turned the shower on and steam slowly began to fill the small bathroom. Donna inhaled deeply as she shrugged out of her dressing gown and pulled her underwear and bra off. The soggy material landed heavily on the floor. She hummed to herself, partly to block out the sound of her mum’s ranting outside, as the hot water fell onto her head, dripping through her long hair. The warm water made her skin tingle as she warmed up too quickly. She wriggled her toes happily and let her muscles relax under the pounding of the hot jets of water. For the first time since that morning she was only and safe. Nobody was bustling around her as they prepared to go to the church, no Huon particles that glowed brightly blurring her vision until she was trapped in a strange time machine, no Doctor running around like a mad alien. Just her.

And her thoughts. 

Which suddenly didn’t seem like a good idea anymore. 

The trials of the day suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. Her legs gave out underneath her and she had to lean against the tiled wall to stop herself from slipping over. She choked back a sob and closed her eyes tightly but it wasn’t enough. Visions of the Empress laughing manically flashed in front of her eyes, Lance’s cutting words as he dropped the axe, the Doctor’s cold dead eyes as he watched the water pour down the pit, Santas marching slowly towards her playing God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. Donna gasped and reached out to turn off the tap. That was one Christmas carol she would have to avoid in the future. She’d never liked Santa, the idea of a man breaking into her house and into her bedroom had always spooked her and now she had killer robot Santas to help fuel that nightmare. She breathed deeply trying to slow her heartbeat as the room gradually began to stop spinning. She would have to wash her hair later when she wasn’t having some kind of panic attack. She jumped out the shower and patted herself dry with a warm towel. Her make up stained the soft fabric and she cursed under her breath. Her mum would kill her for that. She pulled her dressing gown back on and threw her wet undergarments in the laundry basket. 

She took a deep breath to tried regain her composure so she could face her parents and that wonder new alien friend of hers. 

* * *

“Mrs Noble, please. If you could just let me explain.” She heard the Doctor’s voice from the landing.

“Not another peep out of you Doctor Smith! I don’t trust you. You both turn up late to the reception and then suddenly you’re at my doorstep, soaked to the skin and telling me you’re taking Donna on a trip around the world. The bloody cheek of it.” Donna heard her mum snap. 

“With all due respect Mrs Noble…” 

Donna opened the bathroom door and they both turned to look at her. The Doctor’s eyes glanced down her body and he blushed brightly, he had the decency to take a step back and he seemed to be very determined to keep eye contact with her all of a sudden. She managed a halfhearted laugh at that. Normally she would have found it downright hilarious but it had been a long day and no one could blame her for not being on top form. 

“Mum just shut it will you?” Donna snapped at her mother. 

“How dare you?!” She shrieked. 

“No, Mum. Just… don’t.” She sighed. Normally she would have yelled back but the energy had left her. She wanted to cry, let out all her emotions from the day. She wanted to grieve the man she thought had loved her. She wanted to grieve the life and the future she had lost, and most importantly, she wanted to get away from Chiswick and the reminder of the whole disaster. The man who preferred an alien spider to her, the mother of never believed she was good enough, the friends who taunted her and her job. She pushed past them both and into her bedroom and sank down onto her bed. She hoped that would be hint enough for them to bugger off downstairs but apparently not. They followed her like bloody lemmings into her room. 

“He says you’re leaving?” Sylvia sat down on the bed next to her, in a surprisingly gentle manner. 

“Yeah.” Donna agreed. “I just need to get away Mum.”

“But your job?” Sylvia argued. 

“Pretty sure HC Clements is finished. Boss has disappeared, Lance is… gone.” Donna held back a sob as her voice caught in her throat. “Anyway I’ve got a flight to Morocco right?”

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry.” Her mum pulled her into a hug and Donna finally let go. 

The tears flooded from her eyes and the sobs tore through her body leaving her breathless. It was like the Thames draining down into the centre of the Earth. She couldn’t stop now that she’d started. At some point she felt the Doctor sit down next to her and his hand rested on her knee. It was a small touch but it meant the world to her. She’d like to say that she cried with grace and beauty, like they did in the movies but she knew that wasn’t true. It was ugly and snotty and her head hurt like a bitch once she was done. The three of them sat on her bed whilst she bawled her eyes out, taking no notice to the snow falling softly outside the window or the sounds the church bell as midnight struck.

Eventually she had cried herself out. She was exhausted and embarrassed and utterly convinced that all chance of time and space had just flown out the window. She untangled herself from her mother’s arms and pushed the Doctor away. 

“Right. Show’s over. Out!” She shoved them both towards the door and wiped her face on the sleeve of her dressing gown. 

“Donna!” Her mum protested. 

“I’m fine, Mum.” She shut the door in her face and waited until she heard footsteps going back down stairs and then she sank to the floor. 

“Donna?" The Doctor’s voice called through the door.

“Go away.” She mumbled. 

“Come on Donna, let’s get your bags into the Tardis and we can get out of here.” He replied softly.

Her heart felt like it stopped in her chest. He still wanted her to go with him. Even with all the ugly crying and the feelings and being completely weak. How could he still want her? She flung the door open and stared at him in shock. His hair was flopping down in front of her face and his suit was all ruffled and wet. It was a miracle her mum had let him upstairs in such a state, stomping wet muddy footprints all over the carpet. 

“What?” She snapped, more viciously than she probably needed to but she was Donna Noble and shouting at the world was what she did best. Maybe one day it would listen.

“Bags? Tardis? All of time and space? Ring any bells?” He teased her gently with a dazzling smile.

“You still… I can still?” Donna asked in disbelief. 

“Unless you’ve changed your mind?” And suddenly that strange vulnerability was back. She laughed at the insanity of it all. “What?” He whined. “You haven’t have you?” 

“Look at the pair of us.” She gasped in between laughs. “Both thinking we don’t deserve each other.” 

“What? No. I never said that.” He protested. 

“Oh but you’re terrified!” She insisted, still holding back laughter. Crazy Time Lord capable of taking down the Empress of the Racnoss without even flinching, defender of the Earth and he was scared of her! Little old Donna Noble, temp from Chiswick.

“I am not.” He pouted and ruffled his hair. 

“You’re scared I’ll change my mind.” She said softly as she pulled him into a hug. “And I’m scared you’ll realise I’m nothing special.” 

“But you’re brilliant.” He murmured into her hair. 

“Broken record, Martian.” She chuckled. He really was quite ridiculous but she found that she was starting to get used to it. It made a change, someone actually thinking she was worth it. She might not believe it but it was still nice to hear. 

“Hit single, Earth Girl, and still not from Mars.” He pulled back and grinned at her. The sparkle was back in his eyes and he had that dopey grin on his face. “Tardis?”

“No.” Donna shook her head softly, holding back a laugh as she saw his face fall. Oh she was going to have so much fun with him. He was just so gullible for someone so smart. Even after all she just said he still thought she was going to change her mind. 

“Oh… I thought. No. That’s fine. I get it, it’s not easy the life I live. But I am soo… hmph” Donna put her finger on his lips cutting him off mid ramble. 

“I’m in my dressing gown you Dumbo. I need to get dressed.” She laughed at him. 

“And then?” He asked, his voice was hopeful and he looked like a kid at Christmas who had just found out that Santa was real. 

Wait… was Santa real? She would have to ask. That would be ridiculous, right?

“And then… all of time and space?” She grinned and he pulled her back into another hug. 

And for the life of her she could not remember why she was ever going to say no in the first place. 

* * *

“So… Where to Donna Noble of Chiswick?" The Doctor grinned as he spun round the console excitedly. 

Donna leaned against the coral pillars of the Tardis and watched his manic dance with fond amusement. Just twenty minutes ago he had been by her side as she fell apart in her mother’s arms and now he was like a kid in a candy store all buzz and excitement. As if he hadn’t just saved the world from impending doom, as if this was just another normal day for him. Donna paused mid-thought. It probably was a normal day for him. God, when did her life get so insane. 

Oh yeah, that’s right, 6 months ago when her ex-fiancée had started dosing her with lethal Huon particles so he could feed her to a giant spider. 

She shuddered at the memory. That one was going to take some time to get over. It was even worse than Andrew, her college prom date, cheating on her with her then best friend, Cat, the night before prom. She’d found them both making out in the science block when she’d gone over to surprise him after her English class. Boy did she know how to choose them. She hoped that she had finally made a good decision with the Doctor. He seemed to genuinely think she was something worth fighting for, god knows why. 

“I know you want to jump into new adventures.” Donna said slowly with an apologetic smile. “But I need to make one last stop before we go.”

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at her. “Not Nerys? I think I did alright with your mum but please don’t make me be nice to Nerys!” He pleaded.

Donna was distracted from her train of thought by his question. “What have you got against Nerys?!” She snapped in defence of her friend. Only she was allowed to be a bitch to her friends. 

The Doctor stared at her, aghast. “She was trying to seduce your fiancée at your reception, Donna!” He cried. “I don’t like Nerys.”

Donna was taken back by the ferocity of his remark. “But you barely know her.”

“I saw enough.” He scowled and then his eyes landed back on Donna and softened. “You are worth so much more than Nerys, Donna.”

“Well, for what it’s worth. I have you.” She smiled up at him. “And it wasn’t Nerys I wanted to see. I’ll make her jealous enough one day when we visit.” She laughed. She couldn’t wait to see her friends face when she told her an adapted version of her travels with the Doctor. None her group would believe her. Donna Noble, picking up a rich doctor to travel the world with. 

“Oh?”

“My gramps.” Donna said. “He wasn’t at the wedding. He’s sick.”

The Doctor’s eyes twinkled and he gave her a wide toothy grin. “Oh well… It’s a good thing the Doctor is in the house!” 

She felt the Tardis giggle in her mind. Now that had been an unexpected twist. She’d stayed quiet during Donna’s first trip to the beginning of Earth and it had scared the crap out of Donna when she’d returned to the Tardis and felt the buzz of her voice in the back of her head. The Doctor had seemed surprised when Donna mentioned it but he explained that his ship was sentient and highly telepathic. Donna had decided that why the hell not? It wasn’t like this Christmas was going to get any weirder.

Donna gave him the details of the hospital her grandad was staying at and the Doctor began his mad dash around the console. They decided it was best to visit him in relative time in case her mum had managed to ring him at all during the day. The Doctor wittered on about crossing personal timelines and then they were off. Donna could feel the Tardis jolt under her feet and she almost crashed to the floor. She let out a yelp and the Doctor laughed at her misfortune. This would take some getting used to apparently. She glared at her friend as he continued to flap about the console, limbs flying all over the place. It probably would have been easier to catch a cab… then again she wasn’t quite ready to get back in one of those. At least she wouldn’t get mistaken for a drag queen this time. 

The Tardis stilled as the engines slowed to a halt. “Here we are!" The Doctor sang happily and spun the screen round to examine it. “I’ve landed in a storage closet near reception so we just need to work out what room he’s in.” 

When Donna opened the door of the Tardis she was greeted by another door. There was medical equipment all around her and a mop that almost crashed into her head. She cautiously pushed the door open and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright fluorescent lights of the corridor. They made their way to reception to find out which room her gramps was staying in. The receptionist was very polite but mistook the Doctor for her husband. She figured Gramps must have mentioned the wedding. 

“Oh no!” Donna corrected the receptionist with a blush and a wave of her hands. “We’re not together.”

“We’re not married." The Doctor said at the same time, his own cheeks were a little pink around the edges. 

“Sorry.” The receptionist, Betty according to her name tag, said. “Just the wedding ring. I assumed. Sorry.”

Donna looked down at her hand. She was still wearing the bio-damp ring. The Doctor noticed too and he suddenly wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Oh golly! We did it again Darling!” He cried. “Sorry,” He said to the receptionist. “Newly weds.” 

Donna stared at her friend in shock. Say what now?! But Donna Noble would not back down from a challenge and she forced a laughed and snuggled into his chest. “Oh my god! This is so embarrassing.” She exclaimed. “You see we had to hide our relationship from his parents. They didn’t approve of him marrying a temp, no money, no stable job. So we had to keep denying it wherever we went. Isn’t that right, Honey Pie?”

“Absolutely, Pumpkin!” He nodded. “It just slipped out! But we don’t have to hide anymore. We got married this morning!”

“Christmas Eve wedding.” Donna agreed. 

“On a rooftop overlooking London!" The Doctor kissed her hair and gave Betty a dazzling smile. 

“Oh, well, that’s all very lovely.” Betty said slowly looking over their shoulder at the queue that was beginning to form. “Room 302. Have a nice day!” 

Donna and the Doctor thanked Betty for her help before Donna pulled the Time Lord down the corridor by his hand. “What was that?!” She hissed at him.

“I don’t know! I panicked!” He whispered back. “How else do you explain a wedding ring?”

“Oh I don’t know! You’re my brother and we’re visiting our grandad together? My husband is at home?!” She jabbed him in the ribs and he yelped. 

“Oh yeah. Right. Yeah. Sorry!” He said. 

They bickered like that all the way to her gramps room. Donna knocked gently on the door before pushing it open. The old man lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw her enter with the Doctor. He was wearing two sets of reindeer antlers on his head. Even though he was in hospital he still hadn’t lost his Christmas spirit.

“Donna!” He cried happily. “Sweetheart! Sylvie didn’t say you were visiting. Oh and who’s this then?” 

“Hello! I’m the Doctor!” The brunet rushed over and introduced himself with an enthusiastic grin. “Nice to meet you!”

Wilf looked a little confused by the excitable alien next to Donna but shook his hand regardless. “Wilfred Mott. Donna’s grandad. Sweetheart, what’s going on?”

“Has mum called you at all today?” Donna asked.

The old man nodded. “Sorry about the wedding, Darling. I always said he didn’t deserve you.”

“Oh good man!" The Doctor cried. “I like him, Donna.”

“Thank you, Sir. I take it you're the man that saved my family from the Christmas trees?” 

“Ah yes, that’s me! Hello." The Doctor gave a little wave. 

“He’s an alien, Gramps.” Donna admitted. She’d asked the Doctor if she could tell her grandad the whole story. He’d always been fascinated with aliens and the stars so she knew it would make his entire life to get a chance to meet with one. The Doctor had surprisingly agreed. He said he had a good feeling about her gramps. 

“No…” Wilf breathed in disbelief and the Doctor nodded. 

“Yup!” He grinned. 

“But you look human!” Her gramps insisted.

“No, you look Time Lord." The Doctor shot back.

Donna had had enough of their bickering and launched into the full story of her wedding, not leaving out any details. The Doctor helped to explain the alien stuff when she stumbled over the words. He was pretty good story teller too. She could see he got lost in the memory of their tale and it was so easy to believe that she was back there again. It was fractionally less terrifying the second time around. At least this time round she knew she would survive. 

Gramps was ecstatic that he had been given the chance to meet a real life alien and promised to keep the truth of her travels a secret from her mum and Dad. He listened in awed silence as the pair of them had told him the story of Donna’s disaster wedding, gasping in the right places and holding her hand tightly as she held back the tears when they got the part about Lance’s betrayal. It had been immensely cathartic to tell some one the truth, and for him to believe her.

“Oh sweetheart! Come here.” Wilf patted on the bed next to him. “Come give your old Gramps a hug.” 

Donna could feel the tears prick in her eyes and she gently wrapped her arms around him. He looked so frail. The flu had taken a lot out of him but the doctors all thought he would get through this. Her Doctor had even given him scan with the sonic and declared he’d be fit as a fiddle in no time, but he did give the old man a couple of tablets to help boost his immune system, just in case. Donna was very grateful. Her grandad always managed to make her feel like a little girl again. Not in the way her mother did, but he saw the world in such a beautiful light she couldn’t help but remember how wondrous the Earth could be. 

“Thanks Gramps.” She sniffled, holding back her tears. She’d cried enough for one day, thank you very much!

“Now go on! The pair of you. Get out of here. Wasting time on an old man like me when you could be out in the stars.” He waved them away. “You look after my little girl, Doctor.” He added with a sharp look in the Time Lord’s direction. “I mean it. If she gets hurt because of you….”

“I swear I will, Wilf." The Doctor nodded sombrely. “Shall we?” He held out his arm to Donna who took it. 

“Lead on, spaceman.” She smiled at her companion. “Bye Gramps! We will visit soon!”

“Good bye Sweetheart!” He waved them off and the headed back to the Tardis to start their grand adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In future I'm going to try and post every Saturday but I felt bad that the last chapter was so short so you get this one early!
> 
> This story is going to be a mix of episode rewrites and original stories. Some with Martha, some without. I hope I get the balance right between the two. I have about Eleven chapters written so far so it's almost finished in first draft form so hopefully posting will be pretty regular.
> 
> Anyway... I hope you enjoy it! :D


	3. The Climate Conundrum

The blue light from the central column glowed brightly in the centre of the room and Donna could feel the hum of the Tardis in her whole body and mind. It really was amazing, and even more so was how quickly she’d gotten used to the feeling of the Tardis around her. She hadn’t notice how empty her head felt in the hospital with Gramps until she had stepped back over the threshold. A sentient spaceship, who’d have thought? The Doctor must think that humans are so small and insignificant compared to him. 

The man in question was slowly flicking switches on the console as they prepared to dematerialise from the storage cupboard. “So….” He crossed his arms and watched her from across the console. “Anymore pit stops?” He teased.

“Don’t act like you didn’t love Gramps.” Donna crossed her own arms, mirroring his pose and raised an eyebrow. 

The Doctor laughed. “Well, without Wilf there would be no Donna Noble. The universe would burn without Donna Noble.” 

“Oh you prawn. Leave off.” Donna rolled her eyes. 

“Seriously though. Where to next?” His eyes were sparkling with excitement and he had a dopey smile on his face. Didn’t this crazy alien ever stop? She was exhausted from the day already and he wanted more? But how could she say no? Her first proper time in the Tardis since agreeing to travel with him. She couldn’t just say ‘Nah mate, I’m off to sleep. See you in the morning.’ She wasn’t an idiot. 

“Oh I don’t know!” She cried instead. “All of Time and Space! How do you choose?” She ran over to the console to stand opposite him. 

“Someone famous?” He quirked an eyebrow.

“Nah.” She shook her head. Her first real trip in the Tardis was going to be perfect! There were famous people all the time and she wasn’t interested in that. Not yet at least. Maybe she could convince him to let her meet Brad Pitt? She giggled at the thought. No it was the end of a long day for her and her eyes were probably still red and puffy from crying, Brad Pitt would have to wait for another day.

“Some monumental event from Earth’s past?” He tried again with a mad toothy grin. 

“Nope!” She sang. She’d already done that one. Not bad for a first trip either. 

“Ooh… I know! Alien planet!” He laughed but she shook her head. She was much too tired to deal with another alien. The one she had was quite enough thank you very much! Plus after the Racnoss she wasn’t sure she could cope with another one before a good night’s sleep and copious amounts of caffeine. 

“Wrong again, Time Boy!” She spun round the console as he did so they stayed on opposite sides. 

“So then… To the future?” He winked and pulled down on a lever. Donna screamed as the Tardis jolted and she was almost thrown to the floor. Luckily the Doctor had zipped around the console faster than lightning and caught her. “Hold on tight!”

“Where are we going?!” She yelled over the sound of the engine. The blue light pulsed at the centre of the console. 

“Earth!" The Doctor beamed. 

“When are we going?!” She laughed excitedly. The adrenaline was coursing through her and all thoughts of a nap fell from her head. Deep down she knew she was exhausted but she couldn’t seem to care. She was travelling the universe with this strange, genius, wonderful man. 

“No idea! I’ve let her choose!” He grinned as they bumped into each other. Donna clung onto the console with all her strength so she wouldn’t be thrown to the floor again and the Doctor flung his body past hers and grasped onto a weird dial on the other side of the console. “Mallet!” He called and thrust his hand out towards her. She rolled her eyes and reached under the console. 

“You could just ask her nicely you know?” She called back. Of course, she had no idea whether that was true or not but it didn’t quite seem right hitting a sentient space ship with a mallet. She felt the Tardis brush her mind gratefully and she brushed her fingers along the edge of the console. “I know, Sweetheart. I won’t let the big bad Time Lord bully you.” 

“Donna!” He whined. “Don’t let the Old Girl lie to you. She never behaves!” 

“Doctor!” She whined back to mock him. “You know us girls stick together right?” She grinned and tossed the hammer behind her. It landed on the metal grates with a loud thud and the Tardis suddenly went quiet. The engine stopped and they were able to stand without being flung about the room. Donna started to panic. She had broken the Tardis!

A tickle in the back of her mind told her to stop being silly and she breathed a sigh of relief. 

They had just landed. 

“We’ve stopped." The Doctor grinned and stuck his tongue between his teeth. He jumped up and grabbed his coat from the nearby coral pillar. It swished behind him as he pulled it on. 

“Yup.” Donna suddenly felt a little bit sick. Neither of them knew what was outside that door. If the Doctor was to be believed then it was Earth but when or where on Earth she had no idea. “Don’t suppose it’s not too late to turn back?”

“Oh Donna Noble. Where’s your sense of adventure?” He reached out his hand to her as they stood facing the doors to the Tardis and the unknown. 

“If I had to guess I would say in Chiswick, or maybe at the bottom of the Thames?” She joked as she took his hand. It had been a long time since she’d had a friend who’d been close enough to hold hands with. Even Lance hadn’t wanted to. She really should have known. But this was nice. Her and the Doctor against the world. 

“Would it help if you changed into a wedding dress?” He teased her as together they pulled the doors open. 

Any protest she might have had fell away as she took in her surroundings. It was… the same.

It wasn’t Chiswick sure. It probably wasn’t even England. It was too hot for that but the people wandering round were wearing normal-ish clothes, if not a little eccentric. The cars were firmly on the ground and the ocean was rumbling softly in the background. The air tasted a little salty but that was probably from the beach that was just the other side of the road. 

She didn’t know what she had been expecting but she was fairly certain she wasn’t it. 

“Well?" The Doctor squeezed her hand and she looked up at him. He had changed into a blue version of his pinstriped suit whilst she was saying her last goodbyes to her gramps, probably to let his brown one dry. She wondered if he had a whole rainbow collection tucked away somewhere. He had mentioned a huge wardrobe hidden away in the depths of the Tardis whilst she had been packing her bags, that had to include rainbow suits right?

“It’s the same.” She replied, a little disappointed. “Where are all the flying cars? Where are all the robots and holograms? When are we?” 

“Robot Santas not enough robots for one day?” He teased her and she glowered back in response. “Not sure. Didn’t check the screens before we came out. Let’s find out shall we?” He pulled her towards the beach where a few couples were strolling with their dogs. The sun was low in the sky, if she had to guess it was probably dusk not dawn but how should she know? She wasn’t the Time Lord out of the two of them. “Excuse me!" The Doctor called to the nearest couple. 

“Go away. We’re not interested.” One of the girls called back and pulled her girlfriend away from the Doctor.

“Not interested?" The Doctor replied thoughtfully. “In what?”

Donna was too busy looking around. She had suddenly noticed all the signs and billboards were in English. The couple had had an English accent, London to be more precise, but this wasn’t London. There was a beach. That was the ocean. She spun around, letting go of the Doctor’s hand. He didn’t complain and walked further onto the beach.

“I’m sorry! Interested in what? I’m the Doctor, this is Donna, is there something wrong? I can help! See? Doctor Smith and Donna Noble, Earth residential satisfaction department” He called again but Donna wasn’t listening. 

“Doctor?” She mumbled meekly as she tried to process what she was seeing behind the little blue box on the edge of the beach. 

“We’re not leaving. My family was born in this city generations ago and I’m bloody well not leaving now. I don’t care how many men in suits tell me otherwise.” The second girl spat back.

“Doctor!” Donna shouted louder this time. He had to see this. It was… unbelievable.

“A little busy Donna!” He called back. “Look, no funny business I promise. Who’s trying to get you to leave? Leave where?” He continued to interrogate the poor couple. 

“Are you daft mate? or did the giant view of the ocean not give you a clue? The city is falling into the sea. I met my wife on this beach back when there was a river and now the whole thing is a beach!” The second girl snapped back at him. 

“Doctor! You Dumbo! Look!” Donna spun round and yelled at her friend. 

“What!?” He yelled back and turned to face her and the Tardis. “Oooh… ok. That’s new.”

He walked slowly back up the beach until they were standing side by side facing away from the sea. 

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, albeit strange modernised versions with holographic windows and a digitalised clock face, were stood proudly behind the Tardis. She wondered what old Harold Saxon would think if he saw his place of work two billion years in the future. He promised to fight for change and a better world. It seemed he hadn’t done that much to stop global warning after all.

“We’re on a beach.” Donna stated. 

“Yeah." The Doctor agreed.

“By the sea.” She continue quietly.

“Yeah…” He nodded and scratched the back of his neck. 

“In Central London.” She finished. 

“Well…” He paused. “Yeah.”

* * *

The Doctor had somehow managed to convince the two girls, Carrie and Bethany, that they weren’t about to force them out of London and they weren’t psychopathic murderers. Donna wondered if everyone was always so trusting of the Doctor after a few minutes. He seemed to be able to make friends wherever he went. Granted it had taken Donna a least an hour before she started to warm up to him, but in her defence it had been a very stressful day. One that still hadn’t ended, she thought as she stifled a yawn.

She’d expected London to be more different in the future. She was almost disappointed. Apart from the obvious difference of the London Eye falling into the sea along with half the city, nothing much had changed. The fashion hadn’t changed that much. The cars were still firmly on the ground and every thing was… normal? No flying spaceships. No aliens hanging around the city. No robot people. She would have sworn robots would have had rights by now. At least gay marriage was a thing. That was cool. She’d felt a little flutter of joy when Carrie had introduced Bethany as her wife. Although judging by the way the two girls had been assessing their reactions, Donna guessed that gay marriage didn’t necessarily mean that homophobia was in the past. She wondered if it ever would be. She’d asked the Doctor if he knew when the law would pass, she’d been pleased to hear it was well within her life time, less than a decade! 2012 apparently, but still no robots. she felt a little cheated. She should have gone for alien planet after all.

Apparently Earth had become super futuristic a few millennia ago but once the resources started running out, humanity and other aliens that called the Earth home, had had to slowly revert backwards. There were restrictions on flying cars now and even normal cars had to be all electric, all homes and companies had to run on solar energy or other sustainable alternatives. All the super duper high tech gadgets require too much energy for Earth and had to be phased out or taken to other planets. The Doctor told her that in another couple of centuries then the planet would be back to the dark ages. No electricity at all as all the funding was sent to the colonies and the governments switched off the power grid all over the world. Internet would become the stuff of legends for the last of the humans who refused to leave. The last space ship would launch off into the stars and the Earth would be forgotten until the day it burned.

It was sort of poetic in a way. All that progress and development but in the end nature won. It always would.

The Doctor was questioning Carrie a little bit ahead of her as they ambled along the beach. 

Carrie had short purple hair and funny green glasses with blue lenses. She was wearing a linen crop top and a strange shimmering purple skirt. Her wife, Bethany was dressed in a similarly shimmering turquoise dress. She had soft pink pastel hair and a long golden chained necklace. The colours should have clashed but some how it seemed to work. Perhaps people in the 21st Century needed to learn to be bolder and brighter. Bethany was the quieter of the two, she’d moved to London from Cornwall when the county had fallen into the sea. No one had expected the sea to reach so far in land but the water kept rising and the UK was turning into Atlantis. Ireland and Wales were both almost completely gone.

“So… Tell me Carrie." The Doctor was saying. “Who are these men in suits eh?” 

“Bit rich coming from you, spaceman!” Donna called at her friend and she plodded along in the sand. 

Her shoes were heavy and full of sand. She’d begun to wish she’d worn her flip flops instead of her trainers, come to think of it she wished she worn her dungaree shorts and pink blouse combo rather than her jeans and purple top. It was boiling under the sun. She probably should have put sun tan lotion on as well. She was going to roast out here. She’d probably already started to burn, and her eyes were starting to hurt from the bright sunlight. She made a mental note to check the weather before leaving the Tardis, or at least insisting she can go and change before adventuring. 

“You alright back there, Donna?” He called back when he’d notice how far behind she’d gotten. 

“Oh yes. Top of the world. You got any sunscreen in that coat of yours? or sunglasses?” She asked hopefully. 

“Right yes. Just a mo.” He gave Carrie an apologetic look and dug around in his pockets. He tossed Donna a small bottle of sunscreen. “Use that sparingly Donna! It’s very powerful. You won’t need much, even with your complexion. I got it from the planet Solasestas. It has four suns!” 

Donna inspected the bottle. It was a pale pink colour with a silver top. The writing on the back was in English just like that signs. 

“If it’s from Solstas”

“Solasestas" The Doctor corrected.

“Then why can I read the instructions?” Donna asked thoughtfully. 

“Oh that’s the Tardis! She translates for you.” Donna mentally thanked the ship as he continued to speak. “All very clever stuff. Oh I nearly forgot.” He pulled out his glasses and pointed the sonic screwdriver at them. The lenses turned dark and he tossed the over to her. Donna almost fell over as she had the reach forward to catch them. “Catch!” He yelled a little too late. 

“Oi!” She yelled back and the managed to steady herself.

“Suits!" The Doctor cried and turned back to Carrie as Donna pulled on the sunglasses. The lenses weren’t corrective at all and she almost positive he hadn’t changed the prescription of the lenses, just the colour. The cheeky bugger only wore them to look smart. Oh she was gonna give him hell about that later. She squeezed out some of the alien lotion and applied it to her face. It was freezing cold and made her skin feel as soft as a baby’s bottom. It wasn’t at all greasy. Donna would have to grab some of this from the Doctor. It was bloody brilliant. 

“They’ve been evacuating the planet for years. Ever since the cities started to fall.” Carrie told them. “They’ve been driving around offering tons of money to anyone who agrees to go.” 

“They offer money?" The Doctor asked thoughtfully. Donna thought that sounded completely fishy. It was probably a drug front or slave trade or something sinister. 

“Yeah. Compensation for housing and property that has to get left behind. You can only take a small suitcases on the ships. Nothing big. No pets.” Bethany answered this time. “I’d have to leave Benny behind.”

“Benny? Who’s that?” Donna asked. Beth smiled proudly and pulled up a holographic image using her necklace which Donna was very impressed with. That was more like it! Future tech! The hologram was showed a small ginger cats with bright green eyes. It was a 3D image and so realistic that Donna felt that if she were to reach out and touch the cat she would be able to feel its fur. “Oh he’s beautiful.” 

“Yeah. I just can’t leave him and Carrie loves this city too much. It’s home.” Beth frowned and stared out into the ocean. “We’ll eventually have to move further inland but house prices are going up and all the inner cities are running out of space.”

“So they are paying people to leave the planet behind." The Doctor concluded. “Don’t you want to see what it’s like out there?” He asked. Donna imagined that so many humans had begged him for the chance to see the stars and here were two girls that were just a desperate to stay with their feet on the ground. “All of space waiting for you.” Her friend sang in the voice he used to try and persuade people. He was very good at persuading people but Carrie just glared fiercely at him.

“Hold up. I thought you said you weren’t with them?” He poked him sharply in the chest. “You liar!” She accused. “Look here mister.”

“Doctor” He corrected.

“I told you we are not leaving. I don’t care what you and your missus think but this is our home!” Carrie ignored his interruption. “This is our planet and our city. We were born here and no alien piss heads in suits are gonna change our minds!”

“Carrie!” Bethany chided in a surprising show of strength from the quieter girl. 

“Carrie.” Donna said more softly than the girl’s wife. The Doctor had riled her up, and now Donna was left to run damage control, the plonker. She glared at her friend who had the decency to look sheepish. Donna touched the purple haired girl’s arm gently, smiling when she didn’t move away. “Carrie he didn’t mean it like that. Oh and for the record, not his missus. We’re not together.” 

“Whatever.” Carrie grumbled. “That don’t change anything.”

“And you were right, about the Doctor. He’s daft.” Donna glanced up at her friend. The Doctor mouth ‘oi’ at her and she smirked. “We’re travellers. We’ve seen it out there and it is beautiful but that doesn’t mean that it’s for everyone. He doesn’t get it. He thinks he can dazzle anyone with the promise of the stars. It’s not a punishment to him, it’s the reward.” 

Carrie laughed at that. “Why would anyone want to leave when it’s so beautiful here on Earth?” 

Donna looked out into the ocean. The sun was sparkling brightly on the water and there wasn’t a cloud in the rich blue sky. The sun was larger than Donna remembered and around the gleaming ball of light the sky was a burnt orange colour. Carrie was right. It was spectacular. She remembered watching David Attenborough documents with her Dad when she was younger. She’d always been fascinated by all the far away places. She’d been desperate to see the orang-utans in Borneo. She would have to persuade the Doctor to take her. It would be a childhood dream fulfilled. 

But then she remembered sitting on the edge of the Tardis watching the fragments of the Earth spiral around in space. It had taken her breath away and being able to share that experience with the Doctor was just amazing, beyond words. He’d promised to show her more wonders just like that and Donna couldn’t wait. The Earth may be beautiful in its own way but it was nothing compared to seeing new planets, meeting brand new civilisations and walking among her own planet’s history and future. 

“Because not everyone feels like this is their home.” Donna admitted.

“What about you?” Beth asked “Where’s home for you?” 

“With him.” Donna blushed as she looked at the Doctor. His face lit up like the sun and Donna knew that she was right. 

* * *

Carrie and Bethany had pointed them towards a set of tall towers just past Big Ben. Apparently that was the HQ of the mysterious suited men who were trying to evacuate the planet. The Doctor wanted to have a little chat with whoever was in charge to make sure their schemes were all in good faith and not a front for some kind of human slave-trade out in the cosmos. They’d arranged to meet the two girls back on the beach in an hour. Donna hoped if they could prove that it was all safe then they would agree to find a new home away from the dying planet. 

It was the year two Billion and sixty-three. The Doctor had finally worked that out by scanning Beth’s necklace that had produced the image of her cat. Donna Noble was in the year two Billion and sixty-three. Flipping hell. She still couldn’t quite believe it. 

Donna wiped her fringe out of her eyes. It was beginning to stick to her forehead with the sweat. Earth really was burning up. She wondered if humans even knew what snow was these days, did they still have songs about white Christmas or was that just nonsense to them. She stared up at the tall office block. It was built from a shiny white material, probably some space age concrete or something. The sky was almost orange behind the towers and the sun seemed to be impossibly large in the sky. It would have been beautiful if it wasn’t so bloody hot.

“Blimey. I hope they have air-conditioning.” She wheezed. “Gingers are not designed for hot weather.” 

“Wasn’t your honeymoon supposed to be Morocco?" The Doctor queried.

“Yeah but that’s all pools and air-conditioning. Not hunting down mysterious CEOs.” Donna snapped. “And I would be wearing summer clothes! Not jeans!”

“Ooh Donna Noble in a bikini. You could go and change.” He teased her with a wink and she whacked him around the back of his head.

“Behave, spaceman.” She glared at him.

“I’m joking!” He protested. “Shall we try and find these fancy blokes in suits then?” He pulled out his psychic paper wallet and waved it around with a cheeky grin.

“Noble Enterprises, surprise inspection.” Donna suggested.

“Perfect! Allons-y!” He beeped the paper in front of the security pad on the front door and they slipped inside the building.

It was, thankfully, blissfully cool inside the spacious office. They were a few drones rumbling across the foyer on wheels, carrying folders and coffees in little holders. “Ooh that’s much better!” Donna pointed at them gleefully. “Now that’s more like it!”

“Humans still treating robots as their personal slaves. Nothing ever changes." The Doctor scowled and waved down one of the robots. “Hello! Hi! I’m the Doctor and this is Donna Noble.”

“Hiya.” Donna gave a little wave as the Doctor flashed their false ID. 

“Noble Enterprises. We have an appointment with your boss. Can you point us in the right direction?" The Doctor grinned. 

“We’re looking to move our company abroad, which star system was it, darling?” Donna glanced up at her alien friend. 

“Alpha Centauri, in the star system of Centaurus. Lovely place this time of year." The Doctor wrapped an arm around her waist. “We went last year for our anniversary.”

“Mhmm…” Donna agreed not wanting to say too much more in case she gave the game away and they realised she had no idea what Alpha Centauri was like. “It was stunning. Perfect location for our new HQ. We heard you’re the ones to talk to about that.”

“Follow Me.” The robot chimed and trundled off on its little wheels. Donna began to wonder why they were putting on such a big show for the robot. She couldn’t even blame the Doctor this time. This was all on her. 

“Excellent." The Doctor flashed her a smile and they were off.

* * *

The Doctor hummed along to the music in the lift. It wasn’t a song she recognised but seemed to be bog standard lift music. It wasn’t too different to what she was used to back in the 21st Century, a little bit catchy with nonsensical lyrics about love and poorly hidden innuendos. It would have fit quite nicely into the charts of her own time. 

“Isn’t this a bit of a spoiler?” Donna whispered to her companion. “I could go home and write this song two billion years early.”

the Doctor scowled at her. “You could…” He admitted as he scratched the back of his neck. “But that could cause a nasty little paradox, rip a hole in the fabric of time.”

“That bad?” Donna asked. She couldn’t imagine one little song causing so much damage. “Just a song?”

The Doctor stared at her as if he was trying to work something out, looking at something she couldn’t quite see. “Time can be difficult. One song could do absolutely nothing, or it could destroy reality as we know it.” 

“How do you know which is which?” Donna asked curiously. 

The Doctor rubbed his eye. “Er… I can’t explain it. I just do.”

“Very eloquent Time Lord.” She teased. 

“It’s like asking me to describe colours you can’t see!" The Doctor protested. “It’s a Time Lord thing.”

Donna raised an eyebrow at her friend. “You can see extra colours?”

“Yes I can. Ooh look we’re here!” He sang as the lift binged to indicate their stop. 

They followed the little robot down the corridor, towards, hopefully, the CEOs office. Donna had a nose at the office. There were moving photographs in all the frames, a bit like in Harry Potter. The pictures seemed to almost pop out of the frame and into the room. There were pictures of vast deserts and sand dunes, and lush green forests with streams trickling through the rocky pebbles, and great mountain tops that stood proud over looking the little cities below. It was strange to see the mountains without a single flake of snow but overall they were photos that Donna had seen in almost every office she’d been in. Stock office photos. Nothing ever changed. 

She peered through the glass of the doors as the wandered through the corridor. There were funky looking desks but the content was still the same. Desk phone, monitors, albeit weird hologram touch screen versions, and pot plants. An office job will apparently always be an office job. She suddenly realised how mundane her life had become before she met the Doctor. She was just another cog in a machine, nothing important, nothing ground breaking. Little Donna Noble would be very disappointed, but at least the work had led her to the mad man and his box so it wasn’t all bad. 

“Mrs Preston is expecting you.” The robot chimed and came to a stop in front of a large glass door. 

“Thank you!" The Doctor patted the robot on the head and then rummaged through his pockets. He pulled out some funny looking coins. “And these are for you. Sorry it’s not more. I don’t carry money. It’s not Earth coins but you’re a clever robot, you’ll figure something out!" The Doctor dropped the coins into a small storage compartment on the robot.

“Thank you, Doctor Noble.” The robot beeped happily and rolled away.

“Did you just tip the robot?” Donna asked incredulously.

“Of course, Donna! I’m not a monster. I doubt you lot pay him very much if anything." The Doctor stated dryly as if her question was the most ridiculous thing at all. “I don’t think the robotic revolution ever reaches Earth. It should be in full swing out in the colonies by now though. Viva la revolution!” 

“The robotic revolution…” Donna repeated. “Blimey!” 

The Doctor knocked on the door and then peered around the frosted glass. “Mrs Preston?”

“Doctor, Donna Noble. Come in.” A cold voice chimed from inside the office. 

“Ah yes. Hello! I’m the Doctor and this is Donna Noble.” He gestured between them as they entered the room. “From Noble Enterprises.”

“Enchanté.” Donna smiled sweetly at the lady behind the desk. 

She was an older looking lady, probably mid-50s, with short sandy blonde hair. There were a few streaks of turquoise flashing through the blonde, a bold choice for a business woman. She was wearing a dark emerald green suit made of the same shimmering fabric as Carrie and Beth’s clothes, but if Donna had to guess she’d say it was a more expensive version. It really seemed to catch the light. It was like looking into a real emerald. She had piercing lilac eyes that peered out at them through silver glasses. 

“You can drop the act, Time Lord.” Mrs Preston raised an eyebrow. 

The Doctor gaped at her and then looked to Donna. “Time Lord? Never heard of them.”

“Sounds a bit pompous if you ask me.” Donna followed his lead. 

“My job is to evacuate this planet before it burns and falls into the sea. We have contacts all across the universe, Doctor. We ship the human race out into the stars to start new colonies and grow.” Mrs Preston stood up and stalked towards them.

“That’s very impressive." The Doctor nodded. “You even pay for the passengers to travel. How exactly can you afford all of that?” 

“Mhmm… that suit isn’t exactly cheap either.” Donna noted. “You skimming a little something extra off the top?” 

The blonde smiled far too pleasantly at them both. “You have grown too old, Doctor. You have little faith left in humanity.”

“You say that as if I’m not human." The Doctor quipped. “I love humanity me. Earth is my home.”

“Now, Time Lord, save us both the embarrassment and drop the act. Part of my training was to look through old UNIT and Torchwood files. We needed to know everything about the planets we were venturing out to. We had to make sure that we weren’t endangering people’s lives. So I know all about you.” Mrs Preston pressed a button on her watch and a hologram of the Doctor’s face came up on screen. “And don’t worry, I know I can’t reveal anything of your future selves. Now, this face with Miss Noble, or is it Mrs Noble?” 

“Miss.” Donna snapped. “I’m not married. Thanks for rubbing it in.” 

“Ah so marriage is still a sore topic. Early days is it?” Mrs Preston smiled knowingly.

“Doctor, who is she?” Donna looked to her friend. He was scowling with thunderous eyes at Mrs Preston.

“I don’t know.” He said through gritted teeth. “I’ve never met her.”

“My family has a long history with Torchwood and UNIT, as I said before. You don’t trust me. I understand that. Many people have given you more than enough reasons to be cautious but I mean you no harm. I do wonder why you are here though, Doctor. Death follows you like a shadow. Our evacuation is not yet complete so I am begging you to tell me. Is this the end?” Mrs Preston asked sincerely. 

“Why do you care?" The Doctor retorted. “You probably have a private jet waiting to shoot you out into the stars.”

“And you don’t?” She countered but nodded with a sigh. “But yes. I will leave when I need to. I cannot risk my own safety if the rest of the public won’t listen. I care because it is my job to care. This charity was set up millennia ago, before space travel became commercialised. It was created to fund a last resort evacuation plan for when our planet became too damaged to continue living here.”

“A charity?” Donna asked. That didn’t seem right. This was all charity! How on earth had they raised this much money that they were able to offer citizens money to leave their homes? Children in Need had really something to learn from this. 

“That’s right yes. We’ve been fundraising for millennia. People laughed at first. They thought our founders were all paranoid but slowly as global warming showed no sign of slowing down it began to gain traction. We’ve been evacuating for the last couple of centuries. The smaller islands were the first to go. The Caribbean, Hawaii, The Philippines. Then the coastlines began to fall into the sea. New York was a tragedy and now London is falling too.” She said with a sad far-off look in her eyes. 

“No, but this is all charity work?” Donna gaped. “Not some secret drug trade or human trafficking?”

The blonde laughed at her. “Would I tell you if it was?” 

“No.” Donna admitted with a glare. “I suppose not.”

“Still none of this makes sense!" The Doctor insisted. “You what? Do little televisions skits for a few centuries without any pay out. You just store that money for a rainy day and people actually donated?” He scowled. “Humanity is too greedy for that.”

“Oi!” Donna snapped. “Not all of us are like that, Alien Boy!” God he can be a right prat sometimes. 

“Miss Noble is right. There are always those who can see ahead. Early humans, probably from Donna’s time if I’m not mistaken, were fighting for our planet. Back when snow and ice still existed on Earth. I’ve never been to a planet with snow.” Mrs Preston said wistfully. “Is it as beautiful as they say?”

The Doctor took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair like he couldn’t quite believe her. He sighed and rubbed his cheek. “It’s spectacular. When the ice freezes instantly you can get glorious blue waterfalls made of solid ice. Humans invented a wonderful thing called ice sculptures. You can go into underground ice castles that are full of them. It’s just brilliant.” 

“So you really are just trying to help?” Donna asked in disbelief. They had been totally wrong about the whole thing. “No dark secrets.”

“None at all. Or least none that I know of. Not on Earth.” Mrs Preston tilted her head towards the hologram that was still showing the Doctor’s file. “ Go ahead. Have a look.” 

The Doctor raised his chin and looked down at her before pulling out his sonic screwdriver. He aimed the little blue device at the screen and the screen flickered, the writing whizzing past too fast for Donna to keep track. The Doctor’s eyes flickered back and forth as he absorbed the information. After a few minutes he pocketed his screwdriver and nodded. 

“Ok. We’ll be off then. Keep up the good work.” He turned on his heels and stalked out the room. Donna gave Mrs Preston one last look before following her friend. She trotted out of the room after him and chased him down the hall. He was walking quickly down the halls, not even pausing to say good bye to their robot friend. 

She finally caught up with him at the lift. “So she was telling the truth?” 

“Completely. It’s all fine. Nothing nefarious, no aliens trying to take over the world. Just humans helping each other to survive the end of their planet. They are still getting donations in from all across the universe. Family members out in the colonies helping to get their friends and family out into the stars.” He scowled. 

“So what’s wrong?” Donna asked. His eyes were still dark and lost in thought. 

“That means we can’t save them.” He admitted. “If I can’t persuade them to leave, they’ll drown or end up homeless in Manchester or Birmingham or wherever they end up.” 

“We’ll do our best.” Donna looped her arm with his and rested her head on his shoulder whilst they waited for the lift.

* * *

The Doctor, Donna Noble and their two new acquaintances were sat on the beach in Central London, or the edge of London as it now was. The Doctor and Donna had manage to squeeze onto his long brown coat that he’d laid out on the sand, it was the first sign Donna had seen that even the Doctor was struggling with the heat. The Doctor grimaced as he spat out the sand he had just licked off the back of his hand and Donna rolled her eyes. Daft alien. 

“Oh yes. Definitely Earth. Tastes… Earthy. Can’t describe it. Definitely not New Earth or New New New Earth or New New New New New…”

“Doctor!” Donna cut him off sharply. She’d changed her mind. She should have insisted they go to sleep before their next adventure. She was exhausted. Perhaps Time Lords didn’t need as much sleep as humans. 

“Sorry. Yes. Well… Point is. Earth. London. You can taste it. Well… I can. Humans wouldn’t be able to tell the difference." The Doctor winked at their new companions. 

“Are you sure we can't we help them Doctor?” Donna asked, she put her hand on his arm gently. This was terrible. Global Warming was a thing. They were all talking about it even in her day, talks of banning plastic bags from supermarkets, solar energy and all that, but Donna could never have predicted this.

“I wish we could.” He sighed as he ran his hands through his hair. There was pain in his eyes, that deep dark pain that she had seen before when he talked about Rose. 

Donna thought about climate change back in the 21st century. Climate change then, in her time, had all been about saving the animals from extinction and stopping the Ozone layer from disappearing. No one had predicted that the water levels would rise to the point that major cities would fall into the sea, or if they had then no one was talking about it. They’d just been worried about the icecaps and the polar bears dying out. 

“The polar bears.” Donna pondered aloud as they stared out into the ocean.

“The what?” Carrie asked her. 

“The polar bears.” Donna repeated. “You have bears?” 

“Like Winnie the Pooh?” Bethany asked with a gentle smile. 

“Umm… sure.” Donna agreed. “But in real life.”

“Winnie the Pooh is real?” Bethany grinned happily. 

“Don’t be daft love, she’s messing with us. It’s just fictional. Made up.” Carrie glared at Donna. “We’re not stupid you know.” 

“I know. I just thought you might have seen them in Zoos or movies or something.” Donna turned to face the Doctor but he was still staring off into the ocean. Didn’t he have a handbook to time travel or something? 

“Zoos?!” Bethany looked shocked. “That’s barbaric!”

Donna cursed under her breath. Or at least she tried to. What she actually said was ‘fork’. She would have to ask the Doctor about that later. 

“No no… umm.. ok. Like Winnie the Pooh but white and he lives in a really icy cold place instead of a forest.” Donna hastily corrected. 

“You two talk nonsense half the time.” Carrie muttered. 

“Tell me about it.” Donna agreed. “Point is, where we come from. They were only worried about the polar bears. They thought that when the ice melted the polar bears would die. No one said anything about London falling into the sea.” 

Both girls just laughed at her. Donna scowled. This time stuff was harder than she thought. 

“Where you from mate? The dark ages?” Carrie laughed as she threw a pebble into the ocean. It landed in the water with a large plop and the water rippled out. 

Donna imagined that she was sort of like the pebble. The Doctor was throwing her around time and whenever she landed she created ripples through time. She was never meant to meet Carrie and Bethany. What would they have been doing this evening if they had been so rudely interrupted by her skinny alien? Perhaps they would have just had a simple stroll along the beach and then home to watch some tele or whatever future people did to relax. Maybe a book or a digital book. “Something like that.” Donna muttered under her breath and looked up at the Doctor. 

The Time Lord was quietly staring out into the sea with a dark look on his face. Donna’s heart broke just to look at him. He always made such an effort to seem happy, excitable and well… Doctory, but as soon as the running stopped, a dark cloud seemed to come over him. She’d seen it when he spoke of Rose, when he’d spoken of his lost home planet and when the Racnoss had refused his offer to help her. He was constantly fighting demons inside his head. No wonder he never seemed to stop running. 

She put her hand on his arm gently. He looked up at her with a start. His eyes softened when he saw her looking at him and he gave her smile. 

“You alright?” Donna asked.

“Yeah." The Doctor drawled in a tone that made Donna think he was anything but alright.

“Been a long day.” Donna said quietly. 

The Doctor nodded and rubbed his eyes. “You have no idea…” 

Donna wondered when the last time he’d been to sleep was, before she’d arrived in the Tardis, that much was certain. She had caught him off guard in the Tardis. He’d been in the middle of something when she’d arrived out of the blue. He’d seemed sad then. Donna thought he wasn’t very good when he was left on his own and she made a promise to herself to never leave him by himself, not like he had been when she met him. 

She looked over to Carrie and Bethany. They were curled up on the sand next to them. Carrie was gazing fondly down at her wife who had fallen asleep in her lap. It warmed Donna’s heart. Carrie was a lot like her in ways. They both tended to lash out and shout at the world but Donna noticed that when Carrie looked at Bethany, she melted. Bethany softened out the edges of her temper and it seemed that Carrie gave Bethany the strength to fight for what she believed in. It made humanity seem a little less dark even at the end of the Earth. 

“Come on Bethy, let’s go home.” Carrie kissed her wife’s head and shook her gently to wake her. Bethany smiled softly when she saw the purple haired girl watching her and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The two women started off back towards the city. Bethany gave them a small wave as they left which Donna returned sadly and then she was left alone to watch the sunset with the Doctor. It could almost have been romantic if it wasn’t for the feeling of impending doom and the fact he was an alien. 

“Doctor?” She asked quietly as she brushed her fingers along his arm to get his attention. He looked at her wearily with a soft smile. “Why can’t we help them Doctor? Isn’t that what you do? Help people?”

“Yes. Sometimes. When I can but this isn’t like that." The Doctor sprang to his feet and moved closer to the waves. The tips of his red converses dipped into the water but he didn’t seem to notice. 

“Why not?” Donna asked.

“There’s no monster Donna, no aliens attacking. No big red button to hit.” He answered without turning to face her. 

“But the planet is drowning.” She implored.

“And soon it will be burning.” He muttered darkly. “It always comes down to the burning.” 

“I don’t understand.” She sighed.

“You wouldn’t." The Doctor snapped back. 

“Then help me understand, Spaceman. I may not be a big bad Time Lord but I am human. This is my planet. I deserve to know!” Donna retorted angrily. She wasn’t an idiot, and he was a prat for treating her like one. She was starting to wonder why she’d ever agreed to this in the first place. Maybe she should have gone for a meet and greet with Brad after all. 

The Doctor sighed and turned to face her. His face was almost glowing in the burnt orange light of the sunset and Donna was reminded of just how non-human her companion was. 

“Everything in the universe dies, Donna. The Earth is no exception. It is beginning to die but humans, you clever little lot.”

“Oi!” Donna teased. “Enough of the ‘little’ Time Boy.”

“Humans survive and adapt. Right to the end of the universe. Further than any other species." The Doctor ignored her interruption but she saw his eyes twinkle with amusement. 

“Further than yours? The mighty Time Lords.” Donna laughed but the sound trailed off when she saw his eyes. They were suddenly cold, haunted, dead. “Sorry.” She mumbled quietly as she remembered he had told the Racnoss his planet was gone. Gallifrey he had called it. 

“Further than mine yes.” He agreed through gritted teeth. “Except me.”

“That’s how you knew she was the last.” Donna guessed.

“Takes one to know one." The Doctor turned back away for a second before spinning round with a new burst of energy. “But! Humanity! You’re brilliant! You just keep on going! Beyond the Earth! Those men in suits were trying to bundle off the Earthlings onto space ships and out into the colonies. You’re all over the place by now. I’ll show you someday” He grinned, leaving Donna with emotional whiplash. Apparently personal feelings weren’t a Time Lord’s strong point. 

“I’ll hold you to that, Spaceman.” She grinned back, hoping her fake smile looked half as convincing as his. “So you’re saying we can’t fix this because there’s nothing to fix. It’s just… meant to be?”

“Blimey you’re good. Exactly Donna!" The Doctor lunged back towards his coat and landed back one the sand next to her. “Fixed points. Universe is full of them. The Earth was never meant to survive forever, eventually the sun gets too hot and a few aliens gather to watch the Earth go boom. A very exclusive guest list so naturally, I had a front row seat.” He winked at her.

“Naturally.” She agreed. “Can we save them though?” 

“Who?" The Doctor tilted his head as he looked at her curiously. It reminded Donna of a puppy, she found it all quite endearing. 

“Carrie and Bethany?” She sighed. “They’ll drown.”

“They can leave the city anytime, Donna." The Doctor reminded her. “It’s their choice.”

“What if we took them back?” Donna asked. “It would still be London. Long before they were born so it wouldn’t be too dangerous would it?”

“Oh Donna Noble you are really truly brilliant." The Doctor pulled her into a sideways hug as they watched the sun sneaked closed to the edge of the horizon. 

“So we can?” She asked hopefully, deciding to ignore his lavish compliment this time. It really did seem she had to get used to that one. 

“Well, No.” He admitted and she swatted him over the back of the head. “They might end up being their own ancestors, paradoxes are nasty things. I try to avoid them.”

“But you said I was brilliant, you prawn!” She glowered at him. How dare he play with her emotions like that? Stupid, idiotic martian.

“You are!” He cried and pulled his hands up to defend himself. “Always trying to save everyone. Even complete strangers”

“Or lying cheating bastards that say they love you.” She added under her breath. 

To her surprise, the Doctor brushed his fingers along her cheek. Her heart beat a little faster in her chest and she suddenly found herself lost in those soft hazel eyes of his. “He didn’t deserve you, Donna. If I could go back and save you the pain I would but I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s ok.” She breathed, not quite trusting herself to say anything else or move an inch. It would be just her luck to do something stupid like try and kiss him. Romantic beach walk at sunset on the evening of her wedding, it was bound to cause some stupid emotions. Luckily his hand dropped back down to his side and he moved back slightly, putting some breathing room between them. She didn’t want to break any intergalactic laws on her first trip to the future thank you very much!

“It’s not ok, Donna. He hurt you. That’s not ok.” The storm was back in his eyes. Donna took his hand and squeezed it gently. Was it really only this morning they had met? So much had happened in that time. She’d been to the beginning of the Earth and now to almost the end of it, she’d failed at getting married and then had a mock wedding over looking London, which reminded her she was still wearing the bio-damp ring. She glanced down at their hands, the golden ring was glittering in the orange sunlight. She couldn’t help but smile. This morning really did feel like a lifetime ago. 

“You saved me Spaceman. That makes it ok.” She insisted, and she was right. Without Lance there would have been no Huon particles and no Doctor. There would be no Carrie and Bethany, not to her any way, no Tardis, no swirling clouds of dust and no jumping from a taxi on the motor way. She could have lived without the robot Santas but beggars can’t be choosers right?

He laughed and squeezed her hand. “Molto Bene.” He sang happily. 

“Molto Bene.” She agreed as the sun finally faded into the ocean. 

* * *

It was completely dark by the time they returned to the Tardis. To Donna’s great dismay and embarrassment she had fallen asleep on the Doctor’s shoulder whilst they were sitting on the beach. Apparently, he’d been wittering on about the perks and joys of humanity when he’d noticed she’d gone quiet, and according to him the last time that happened she’d disappeared, having been kidnapped by Santa, so he’d realised something was wrong. 

Donna had only realised when she had been awoken by his hand gently shaking her shoulder and his voice whispering in her ear. She’d been completely disorientating and almost slapped him into the next millennia but her reactions were slower than usual due to the lack of sleep and he’d managed to dodge the attack. She had had to fight to stop him from carrying her to the Tardis. He had teased her about carrying her bridal style over the threshold on her wedding day which had been enough to wake her up and she raced into the Tardis before he could try. 

They were now wandering slowly towards her bedroom. The Doctor really wasn’t kidding about the size of the Tardis. It was huge. They’d been walking for about 5 minutes already and still hadn’t found it. She had a strange feeling that the Tardis had something to do with the delay. 

“So spaceman…” Donna said wearily. She still hadn’t quite woken up from the beach. 

“Yeah?” He tilted his head and stuff his hands in his pockets. 

“Why can’t I say ‘fork’? I mean… ‘fudge’. Oh for flips sake!” She scowled. “Shirt!” 

The Doctor barked out a laugh as she tried desperately to swear, getting more and more frustrated. “That’s the Tardis. Built in swear filter.” He explained.

“Bloody hell…” Donna sighed. “Oh I can say that one!”

“Yeah. Even I have limits." The Doctor admitted. “I tried to turn it off once It didn’t end well.”

“Oh yeah. What happened?” Donna sniggered at her alien friend.

“She made it so I could only speak Gallifreyan. No matter what language I was speaking. It all came out Gallifreyan." The Doctor scratched the back of his neck. “Not good when you’re the only one left who can understand it.”

Donna stifled a laugh with her her hand. “Not good for you. I can’t imagine you with no voice, or one that can’t be understood.”

“Oh Donna, It was the worst! And it only kicked in when I was trying to get into the court of Raxacoricofallapatorius to help them work out a treaty with the Zygons! One minute I was in full swing and then Bam!” He spun round quickly making Donna jump “Gallifreyan.”

“So you had to fix the swear filter.” Donna sighed. “You’re no fun!” She yelled at the ceiling. 

The Tardis grumbled in the back of her mind.

“She compromised and let me say bloody, and hell. I think bastard too." The Doctor rolled his eyes and sighed. “You’ll have to take it up with her. Maybe you’ll get stuck speaking Spanish?”

Donna sniggered. “Best not. I wouldn’t understand myself.” 

“Nothing new there then.” He teased and blocked her attack.

“Oi!” 

“Oi!” He yelled back with a smirk and fell back into a comfortable silence for a few minutes. “I’m sorry your first trip wasn’t everything you wanted." The Doctor rubbed his eyes wearily as they made their way through the endless corridors. 

“But it was what I needed.” Donna admitted. “I was exhausted before we even started Spaceman. I think running away from murderous aliens would have killed me… literally. I’ve always liked the beach.” She smiled fondly. It had reminded her of holidays down to Devon when she was a kid. Her dad always bought her a mint choc chip ice cream and a bag of chips covered in vinegar, not necessarily in that order. 

“Yeah? Not too boring for you then, Earth Girl?” She bumped his shoulder against hers and they both laughed. 

“Boring is good sometimes, Time Boy.” She shot back. “I feel like you don’t see boring enough.”

“Boring? me? Nah. Not a fan. Where’s the fun in that?” He grinned. “Oh look. Here we go. I’ll ask the Old Girl to move you next to the kitchen by the time you wake up. If need to change anything just ask her. I’ll be just along the corridor if you need me.”

Donna pushed the door open. It was beautiful. The sheets were the same dark purple as her room at home but the room itself was huge and the bed rose off the floor elegantly. It was like something from a romcom. She felt like royalty. She patted soft cream coloured walls fondly and whispered a quiet thank you to the Tardis. 

“It’s perfect thank you. Good night Spaceman.” She kissed his cheek before she could even realised what she was doing and then retreated into her room, hoping to God that he wouldn’t read too much into it. It was just a fond goodnight kiss on the cheek between friends. Right?

“Night Earth Girl.” She heard as she shut the door behind her. 

Donna Noble was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm out tomorrow so you get this chapter a day early! One day I'll stick to my I'm posting on Saturdays promise.... It's all timey wimey anyway. 
> 
> Anyhoo I was super nervous about posting this one because it's an original story... well... kind of. It's my version of a not so original story but it's not a series 3 DW episode so... whoop! There we go. Chapter 2... well 3, but 1 is technically a prologue! The next chapter is also an original story and then we'll start to weave through Series 3 and Martha will be dropping in and out. 
> 
> Hope y'all like it. Let me know what you think! I've currently written 120000 words and 12 and half chapters so... it's a bit of a long one. :P But yeah... See you next time!


	4. The Singing Caves

Donna gasped as she woke up in her bedroom. Her nightmares were different tonight. Gone were the spiders and evil laugh of The Empress of the Racnoss, and it their place were visions of burning, fire and ash. Donna reached out to her bedside table to grab her glass of water. Her hands were shaking as she sipped the cool water. The lights came up in her bedroom slowly and she leaned back against her headboard. Whenever she closed her eyes she could see the mother of the young boy pulling him away from her and into the ash. There was so much screaming and the smell of sulphur was imprinted into her memory. 

She had killed thousands of people. Side by side with the Doctor they had saved the world but the price was so high. He’d been willing to make the choice by himself but that burden was too much for one person, even him. So they’d pushed the lever together. Together they had doomed thousands for the sake of the human race. 

At least she had managed to convince him to save Caecilius and his family. It wasn’t much, hell it wasn’t even enough but it was someone. One family that wouldn’t rip a hole in the fabric of time and destroy those pesky fixed points. One family that would live another day and spread the warning of volcanoes and the God Vulcan. Even in the worst situation the Doctor could always find time to save someone, she was glad she there to remind him, and for a moment there, she’d actually had fun. The market place was so intriguing and she now had an authentic purple Roman toga stashed in her wardrobe, and to see history up close and personal was brilliant! If they’d taught it in schools like that she might have actually listened properly. It was dull with all the text books and primary and secondary sources. Every history department should have a time machine, and a Time Lord to keep them from messing up the time lines.

“Donna?" The Doctor’s head poked around her doorway. He had changed into his blue suit from his brown one. Donna had been very disappointed to see that his rainbow suit collection was in fact only two suits and he didn’t seem very impressed by her idea of her a whole collection of colours. He’d wrinkled his nose in disgust and muttered something about rainbows not being his thing. “You ok? the Tardis said you felt distressed.”

“Yeah. Fine. Just a nightmare. I’m alright.” She took a sip of her water and pulled her duvet up to her chin. “Did you even sleep at all?”

“On and off.” He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “Well, seeing as we’re both awake…” He trailed off with a hopeful glint in his eyes. 

Donna sighed. “Fine! Put the kettle on and I’ll go get dressed” She shooed him out of her room and then hoisted herself out of her bed. She glanced at her clock. She’d barely had five hours sleep. Bloody Time Lords. 

By the time she made it into the kitchen the Doctor had a steaming cup of tea ready and a heavily buttered crumpet on a plate ready for her. She took the golden yellow mug from him gratefully and cradled it in her hands. “Thanks.”

“Wait until you see what I’ve got planned for today." The Doctor grinned as he munched on his own crumpet. “A whole new world Donna!” 

“My first alien planet?” Donna beamed back. She’d been wondering when she would get to go to a new world. So far it had been a lot of Earth in different time zones, mostly overheating ones at that. 

“Yup!” He laughed.

“Better make it a good one, Spaceman.” Donna warned as she sipped her tea. “What about Mars, Martian?” 

“Donna!” He whined like a petulant child. “I’m not from Mars!”

“Do Martians even exist?” She queried. She’d be incredibly disappointed if they didn’t. 

The Doctor answered in some strange language she didn’t understand. It sounded almost Germanic but it wasn’t quite the same. He had a mischievous smirk on his face which told Donna he was messing with her. 

“What you on about?” Donna snapped back. 

“I said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’, in Ancient North Martian.” He gloated. 

“You Prawn.” She rolled her eyes but secretly she was thrilled! Ancient North Martians. “What happened to the South Martians? And are there modern ones?” 

“No idea! We’ll go someday and find out!” He decided. 

“You’re on spaceman!” She agreed. 

“But I have something else planned for today. I think you’re gonna love it!” He spun round on his heels with a manic smile on his face that was infectious. 

Donna couldn’t wait!

* * *

Donna shrieked with giddy laughter as she was jostled around the console, watching the central column pump up and down. The engines of the Tardis roared around her. The Doctor had one foot pressed against a lever and the other one pushed against his stool. He was reaching over to spin one of the dials when he turned to flash her a manic toothy grin. Donna rolled her eyes and gave him a shove. He went sprawling back on the floor of the Tardis looking more than a little confused. Donna let out an excitable laugh before the Tardis jumped unexpectedly and she lost her own footing and landed unceremoniously on top of the Doctor. 

The Tardis chimed a laughter at the pair of them and they both glared up at the ceiling. 

“You did that on purpose!” Donna snapped. 

The Doctor chuckled below her reminding her of their current situation. She jumped up with a start. “Hands!” She yelled. 

“Oi! You landed on me!” The Doctor protested. “I’m the innocent one here.”

She laughed in disbelief. “You? Innocent? Don’t make me laugh Spaceman.”

The Tardis shook again throwing Donna back into the Doctor’s arms as he leapt up from the floor. He gave a dazzling smile as he steadied her. “See? This is all on you.”

Donna blinked up at him. He was stronger than he looked in that stupid blue suit. His hair was all tussled like some stupid leading man out of the movies and his eyes were actually twinkling. Donna had thought that was just some daft metaphor before she met the Doctor, and that stupid dazzling smile with his tongue pressed to the back of his teeth. God she wanted to snog that stupid dumb smile off his face…

But she wouldn’t. 

Because they were friends. Two friends off to see the universe. Just a couple of good mates. 

“You alright, Donna?” He tilted his head like a damn puppy. He was just as cute as one too, not that she would ever admit it. His ego was big enough already. 

She felt her cheeks flare brightly and pushed him back towards the Tardis console. It wasn’t hard but it allowed himself to be moved backwards. “Oi. Aren’t you supposed to be driving this thing?” 

The Doctor’s eyes went wide and he suddenly launched back towards the levers, buttons and keys of the console. “Thanks girl!” He called to the Tardis and his regained control of his ship, well as much control as he ever had. “She was keeping us stable whilst we were…” He trailed off with a sniff.

Donna wondered how that sentence was supposed to end. What had they been doing? Messing about really. Getting distracted. No matter how you said it, it sounded like they’d been up to something. Probably best to leave the sentence unfinished.

“Anyway! I’ve got a good one for you!” He grabbed the screens and spun them round so they could both look. There was a dusty brown looking planet spiralling on the screen. It looked so different from the watery planet she called home. How could anything survive without water?

“Alien planet!” She exclaimed happily. Her stomach was doing all sorts of flips and tricks as the anticipation built. 

“Oh yes!” The Doctor agreed as they landed with a bump. 

The engines stilled with a wheezing sound and the room stopped jostling them about. The Doctor typed furiously into the keyboard below the screens and the picture changed to a load of numbers and data. It was in English but it might as well have been Gallifreyan for all that Donna understood. The Doctor perused over the data for a second and then swept across the room to grab his coat that had been thrown across one of the pillars. Donna trailed her fingers along the pillars as she raced to join him by the doors. He wiggled his toes and raised his eyebrows with a cheeky smile. 

Donna took a deep breath and pulled the doors open. She stepped out onto her first alien planet with a strange sick feeling in her stomach and a thrill of excitement.

* * *

The sky was a burnt orange colour that streaked across the horizon. There were no clouds and no visible life forms other than themselves. The ground was yellow underfoot, a sandy greyish yellow rock. They could breathe which was the main thing. The Doctor said that humans had installed a forcefield and fake atmosphere a few centuries ago when they’d decided to transform the exquisite rocky terrain into a tourist hotspot. Bal-rimir, the planet that was home to the singing caves.

This one had been the Doctor’s pick. She’d only agreed because he’d looked so damned excited. All of time and space he’d promised her, and they’d ended up heading towards some dreary caves that might as well have been hidden away in the Brecon Beacons. Not exactly the alien planet she’d been dreaming of but it was still incredible. The gravity felt heavier underfoot and she had to make a conscious effort with every step she made to lift her foot off the ground. The Doctor didn’t seem to notice. He was bounding ahead like a kid a toy store as usual, long coat flapping out behind him. 

Donna grimaced at the dust cloud he was leaving behind him, it was a bit too similar to the ash of Pompeii for her liking. At least this time she wasn’t melting from the heat. For a change the temperature was actually quite cool, comfortably so, although the moisture in the hair was doing some crazy things to her hair. She’d have to ask the Doctor if he’d picked up any anti-humidity hair spray in his travels, which judging by the amount of hair product he used, he must have. That would certainly come in handy here. 

“This way Donna!” The Doctor called behind him with a little wave. 

He was practically shaking with excitement as he pointed towards a small building in the distance. She rolled her eyes and ran to catch up with her friend with smile. She had a strange feeling in her stomach, like excitement and nerves and the distinct need to scream at the top of her lungs. Was she going to feel like this every time they landed somewhere new? At least with Earth it was all familiar. History she’d learned about in books so she at least had an idea of what to expect and the future wasn’t all that different either, but this was alien, literally alien. What if she said something wrong and offended someone? Like when British people went to Japan and had to learn a whole new set of manners and etiquettes. Would it be ok to blink first without permission? What if she accidentally started a mating ritual with some alien species because she waved hello?

She voiced her concerns to the Doctor who just gave her an incredulous look and laughed. “Accidentally start a mating ritual?!” He sputtered between laughs. 

Donna put her hand on her hips and gave him her fiercest glare. “Well I don’t know do I?!” She snapped. “I’m new to this! Time Boy! Give me a break.”

And with that she stalked off towards the small building that now they were closer she realised was a little information hub.

“Ooh look! Little Shop!” The Doctor cried gleefully behind her and began to run again. As he flew past her he grabbed her hand and they ran the last hundred yards together, leaving Donna quite out of breath by the time they walk through the automatic doors. 

She really needed to work on her exercise routine with all this running she now had to do. She’d never been so fit and they’d barely been travelling together for a week. “We’re on an alien planet and you want to go to the gift shop?” Donna teased her friend. “What are you? five?”

“Nine hundred and two.” The Doctor replied with a toothy smile. 

“No!” Donna gaped at him. There was no way he was nine hundred and two. She had a feeling he was older than he looked, there was an ancient look in his eyes that told her that. Those eyes had seen far more than any thirty something man should have seen. She figured Time Lords just aged slower but she’d been thinking maybe late fifties or at most a century or two, but almost a millennium. She couldn’t quite believe it.

“Yup. Looking pretty good for it I think.” He winked at her and she ignored the way it made her heart race a little faster. 

“I’ve seen better.” She smirked at him and laughed when he gave her the most heartbroken expression.

“You don’t know anyone else over nine hundred years!” He protested. 

“Still seen better.”

“That’s a lie.” He glared at her.

“Can’t prove it, Spaceman.” She laughed at the affronted look on his face, he was gaping at her like a fish who was trying to breath on land. 

“But. What?!” He spluttered. 

“Oh come on!” She tugged his arm and pulled him towards the ticket booth. “Little shop.” She reminded him with a gentle smile. “And we’ve got those singing caves to see remember?”

They purchased their tickets from an adorable little robot who was manning the booth. Donna made sure to ask whether they were getting a proper salary which earned her a smile from the Time Lord. The robot beeped happily and confirmed that they were part of a union that protected their rights. It was less than a human would earn by a couple of credits an hour but it was still lightyears ahead of what she’d seen on Earth. They made sure to tip the robot, whose name was Var-ran, an extra couple of credits to make up for the inequality in the wages. Var-ran blessed them and gave them an extra map and a little shiny keyring for their troubles. Donna tried to refuse but Var-ran insisted and after that it was only polite to take it. Perhaps she could give the keyring to her gramps. It looked very much like a keyring you could get at the Natural History Museum, with a little holographic picture of the caves they were about to see. Donna could lie and say they’d visited some exotic caves in Brazil or something. Her mother would never know the difference. 

“The entrance is just straight through those doors.” Var-ran explained. “Please stick to the paths which will be lit at all times. If you require any assistance then you will find emergency buttons behind the blue lamps. The paths are regularly monitored by our highly skilled team of ranger robots but I assure you you will be perfectly safe.” 

The Doctor and Donna shared a look. That was never good, perfectly safe. Now something was bound to go wrong. “Did we need to take out any insurance for this?” Donna hissed at him under her breath. 

“Nooo.” The Doctor hissed back but Donna wasn’t convinced. “You heard old Var-ran here. Perfectly safe.”

“Doctor!” She poked him in the arm. “Just how big are these caves. It’s not like you can magic the Tardis around me anymore. I’m missing the Huon particles. I’m not about to get lost underground in some cave maze.”

“I won’t let anything happen to you I promise. Plus…” He paused and waved the map in her face. “I’ve got a map! We’ll be fine! Come on! Allons-y!”

Donna stared after him for a few seconds as he burst through the doors into the caves. She had a bad feeling about this. Var-ran had essentially said ‘what could possibly go wrong?’ and every movie ever told her you just did not tempt fate like that. Still she trusted her mad man, he’d saved her life enough times already. 

“Allons-y.” She whispered under her breath and pushed open the doors to join her friend. 

* * *

Donna was really starting to question her life choices. She could be in Morocco sunning herself and indulging in a little retail therapy. She’d bought a brand new sun dress for the occasion. It was soft, purple and flowed all the way down to her ankles, a bit of cleavage for a husband to appreciate but not too much, Donna Noble was still a classy woman thank you very much! She could have had a cosmopolitan in her hand as she relaxed by the pool, maybe a gin and tonic or three, but no. Not her. Nope. Instead, Donna was trudging in her walking boots behind a very excitable alien in the middle of a giant underground cave network.

“I’ve never been." The Doctor was saying. “I’ve always wanted to come though, I mean singing caves? Rock that sings! Can you imagine it?" The Doctor flashed her a toothy grin. Donna rolled her eyes but smiled back. His excitement was contagious, you couldn’t help but laugh along with him. He paused to let her catch up with him and held out his arm for her to hold which she did happily. 

Ok so maybe Morocco by herself was not as fun as damp alien caves with her new best friend. 

“I can’t hear any singing.” She admitted. Maybe it was a metaphor or some pun about acoustics. She remembered her music teacher always going on about the importance of acoustics in a performance space. She was starting to wish she’d paid more attention. “Just the sound of water.” She added. 

“You can’t?" The Doctor raised his eyebrow and tilted his head as he looked her. He scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. “No… I suppose you can’t.” He continued thoughtfully. The Doctor suddenly pulled away from Donna’s grasp and spun round in the narrow pathway in the cave. His coat flew out behind him as he spun. “Oooh look!” He cried giddily, pointing to something he’d spotted up ahead. 

Donna grinned to herself as he tore off sprinting down the corridor before running after him, wondering to herself whether she’d ever be able to keep up properly. Maybe she should ask the Tardis for a treadmill in her room, or those protein shakes that health nuts were obsessed with, training for this mad lifestyle she’d made her own. 

The Doctor paused as the corridor opened up into a spacious cavern. The tiny electric lights were hung all over the sandy yellow walls, like little fairy lights at Christmas. It was magical. Donna gasped as she caught up with her friend. In the middle of the cavern was a roaring waterfall which fell from a gaping hole in the ceiling. They were deep underground now and they had yet to meet any other tourists visiting the caves or the robot rangers that Var-ran had mentioned, knowing the Doctor he had probably managed to get them a private tour with that psychic paper stuff he liked to flash about. 

“It’s beautiful.” Donna whispered as she looked around. The soft yellow lighting was glittering as it bounced off the rocky walls, Donna could just about make out tiny crystals embedded in the rocks. It must have taken thousands of years to form. She wondered if the caves back on Earth were this beautiful, she couldn’t imagine that they were. They’d never looked this impressive whenever she watched National Geographic with her gramps. 

“Oh yes." The Doctor agreed. “The Singing Caves of Bal-rimir. The most beautiful and largest known cave network in the universe. When you lot arrived about… six centuries ago this was all completely untouched. The only people who would have seen this would have been professional potholers and potentially archaeologists if they had the right gear and training. People told fantastic tales of this. The caves were legendary so humans had to come have a look.”

The Doctor stopped to run his finger along the water trickling down the wall. He sniffed it and grimaced, then to Donna’s disgust, he licked the wall. He wrinkled his nose as he tried to process whatever he’d tasted on the rock. “Urgh!” He groaned.

“Do you always do that?” Donna asked as she wrinkled her own nose. 

“Do what?” He asked with an innocent expression on his face. 

She rolled her eyes and nudged his leg with her foot. “Lick things.”

“No." The Doctor shook his head. “Well, not all the time. You can learn a lot from the earth you know. Funny thing is humans never developed the taste for it.”

“Oh yeah, Spaceman, what have you learned from licking the weird space cave then?” Donna raised her eyebrow at him and smirked. 

“Well…” He tilted his head “Nothing exact. It’s wrong. I don’t know why. It’s just wrong.”

“All that superior martian knowledge and ‘wrong’ is all you’ve got.” She made quote marks with her fingers. He pouted at her before spinning round on his heels and marching to the centre of the cave. “So what’s that got to do with me not hearing any singing?”

“What?” He called back and she rolled her eyes. She was probably being drowned out by the sound of the waterfall. 

“I said, what’s that got to do with me not hearing any singing?” She yelled across at him. 

“Hmm… Oh… That. Just a theory. Nothing important. Come on then! Let’s try and find the Heart of the Caves! I got a map and everything!” He pulled the thin paper map from one of his pockets. It was stamped on the front with the Singing Cave Tours company logo and looked like one of those ordinance survey maps that you could never fold up again once you’d opened it. 

“Since when do you use a map?” Donna laughed.

“Biggest caves in the Universe. I’m not an idiot, Donna.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “In fact, I’m a genius.”

“Jury’s still out on that one, Sunshine.” Donna grinned and took his hand. “So… Heart of the Caves?”

“Heart of the Caves” He grinned. “Allons-y!” 

* * *

Donna’s stomach rumbled and her feet were killing her. She longed for her bed on board the Tardis and a pint of hot sweet tea. Maybe the Doctor had a spa room tucked away on the Tardis somewhere. She’d kill for a foot massage right about now. Even the Doctor had stopped talking about an hour ago and they were now plodding along in a comfortable silence, well, except the sound of her stomach going off sporadically. 

“Oi! Spaceman.” She broke the silence sharply. Her voice reverberated in the never-ending passages of the caves and even she winced as her ears adjusted to the sudden noice. 

“Blimey Donna… I’m right here. No need to shout." The Doctor hissed back as he rubbed his ears. 

“Sorry.” She gave him a sheepish smile. “You got any snacks in those trans dimensional pockets of yours?” She asked as her stomach gave another rumble, right on cue. 

“Umm… Yeah. Hold on” He stopped and passed her the map which was now damp, crumpled and barely legible. He stuck his tongue out as he dug around in the pockets of his trench coat. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and shoved it between his teeth then dropped a couple of weird looking coins on the floor, they glittered in the light from the yellow lamps on the walls. “Hmmph” He mumbled through the screwdriver in his mouth as he pulled out a banana.

“A banana…. in your pocket?” She raised an eyebrow at him and stifled a laugh. He gave an exasperated glare and spat the screwdriver into his other hand.

“Really?" The Doctor gave her a pointed look.

“What?” She giggled and tried to give him her best ‘butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth’ look, a real picture of innocence. 

“You hungry or what?” He waved the banana in front of her face.

“For the banana in your pocket?” Donna couldn’t hold back her hysterics any more. She wrapped her arms around her stomach as it started to ache and tears welled up in her eyes as she laughed and laughed and laughed. Every time she managed to catch her breath she looked up at the Doctor and that just set her off again. He was doing his best to give her a ‘not angry just disappointed’ look but she could see the sparkle in his eyes.

“Just take the damn banana, Earth Girl.” He rolled his eyes but smiled fondly at her. 

“With pleasure, Spaceman.” She winked and grabbed the offending fruit. His eyes went comically wide and he blushed but before she could tease him about it he grabbed the overly large map back and studied it profusely. 

Donna munched on her banana happily. It wasn’t a lot but it did stop her stomach rumbling and give her an extra burst of energy. It tasted different to what she was used to. She wondered whether the Doctor had given her an alien banana. She examined the fruit. It looked like an Earth banana but it definitely tasted sweeter, more fruity. The Doctor was spinning the map round in circles and muttering under his breath.

“Hey Spaceman?” Donna said.

He looked up from the map. His cheeks were still pink from when she had been teasing him which made a smile. “Yeah?”

“Where’s this banana from? It tastes weird.” Donna waved the half eaten banana in his face. To her disgust the Doctor frowned and then took a bite. “Oi!” Donna snapped. 

The Doctor chewed thoughtfully and hummed. “I’d say Earth circa 1940s” 

“The 1940s? Why do you have bananas from the 1940s?” Donna asked in disbelief. 

“They taste better. 21st Century bananas are the worst.” He whined. “All got wiped out in the 50s.”

“So what you keep a stash of old bananas in the Tardis?” Donna raised an eyebrow. 

“Yup!” 

“You’re mad you are.” Donna laughed at her friend and finished off her snack, trying to ignore the fact the Doctor had just slobbered all over it. 

“You could even say that I’m completely bananas!" The Doctor grinned and shoved the map back into his pocket. It wasn’t folded up properly but it still managed to slip right in as if it were the size of a penny.

“That’s terrible. You’re terrible.” Donna marched away before he could make any more puns. 

“Oh come on Donna!” He called after her. “That was brilliant and you know it! You could even say it was… appealing? Get it? Peeling. Appealing. No?”

“I’m not talking to you, alien boy!” Donna called over her shoulder, he was trotting to keep up with her.

“And yet you are!” 

“Shut up!” She yelled in exasperation. 

* * *

The Doctor had his stethoscope pressed against the wall in the middle of the large cavern. He frowned as he muttered to himself and pushed his glasses back up his nose. Donna huffed. Why did he have to look so good in glasses? It just wasn’t fair. She probably looked like a right idiot in them, although that wasn’t much worse than her usual. She sighed as she looked around the giant cavern. It felt familiar. Donna was sure she’d seen the roomy cave before. The waterfall in the middle of the cave roared just like it had in the cavern before. The rock formations looked familiar too but she was sure they hadn’t walked in a long circle. It had felt roughly like a straight line and the path had veered downwards most of the way so they couldn’t possibly be back where they started. 

“So why can’t I hear it?” Donna asked the Doctor. He’d been complaining that the singing was getting louder and she still couldn’t hear it. She was half convinced he was making it up just to show off. 

“Dunno." The Doctor frowned as he listened to the rock.

“Yeah you do.” Donna raised an eyebrow. “What are you not telling me, Time Boy?” 

“Come have a listen!" The Doctor thrust the stethoscope towards her, ignoring her question. 

“Fine. Why do you carry this around with you anyway?” She asked as she put the ear buds in her ears. 

The Doctor pressed the end of the stethoscope to the rock wall and watched her intently. “Always need to be prepared, Donna. Anything?”

“Nope!” 

“Hmm…” He hummed and she handed the stethoscope back to him. He shoved it into his pocket and walked away from her as he pulled his glasses off and tucked them into his jacket.

Donna glared at her friend and crossed her arms. They were still no closer to the Heart of the Caves and he was hiding some from her. The lights on the walls began to flicker which spooked her a little bit so she ran to catch the Doctor up. He might be being an arse but he was still her ride out of these stupid caves. 

* * *

Donna was beginning to think that they’d never escape these damn caves. They’d stopped for a breather, partly because Donna had sat down and refused to move any further. Her feet were covered in blisters and she was tired. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d walked for so long without a break. She wondered if the space humans had thought about adding a campsite to these caves, or maybe a toilet and a restaurant. The Doctor hadn’t been able to find any sign of them on the map before he’d dropped it in a puddle and the whole thing had melted away. They were currently trying to navigate using the sonic screwdriver. The blue light glowed brightly as the lights around them dimmed but so far the device had proved to be a little useless, although whether it was the sonic or its owner was anyone’s guess. Donna was beginning to think it was the Doctor who was to blame.

“I’m just saying, Doctor. I recognised that last waterfall. It had the same stalactite with the weird spiral thing as the first cavern.” Donna moaned as she pulled off her shoes. Her socks were covered in blood from where her feet had rubbed against her shoes. “And every other damn cavern after that. We’re going round in circles!”

“That’s not possible! It’s just… not possible. I can feel the planet moving through space itself. I’d know if it were possible. The directions we’ve been going… we’re miles away." The Doctor winced as he saw the state of Donna’s feet. “Here let me.” He pulled out some bandages from his pocket and a couple of first aid wipes. Donna hissed as the chemicals stung in the wounds but the Doctor was careful and lived up to his name. Her feet were bandaged up in no time at all. He wrapped his long brown coat around her shoulders for extra comfort and sat next to her. “I’m sorry.”

“You owe me a beach, daft martian.” She rested her head on his shoulder. 

“The best in the galaxy.” He agreed. “Only the best for my Donna.” 

“Quite right.” She laughed. “Or we could always use my flights to Morocco?”

The Doctor huffed. “I have a Tardis, Donna, we don’t need plane tickets.”

“Yeah but I paid for them. Booked a lovely little hotel room too, overlooking the ocean. With any luck there won’t be anyone trying to kill us either.” She smiled up at him. He didn’t seem convinced. 

“Now, where’s the fun in that?” He smirked.

“We’re going eventually, time boy. I told Mum we were going, she’ll expect pictures.” Donna insisted. 

The Doctor didn’t respond, he just rubbed his temples and closed his eyes. He had a pained look on his face. Donna frowned and put her hand on his leg. He covered her hand with his own and leant his head back against the wall. 

“You ok?” Donna asked when he let out a long sigh.

“Of course.” He plastered a fake grin on his face but Donna had learnt to recognise his fake smile pretty quickly. She wondered how often it worked on those who didn’t know him, or on those who did. 

“Right. And I’m the Queen of England.” She bumped their shoulders together. “Is it the singing?”

“Just a headache. Nothing I can’t handle.” He assured her. 

“What’s causing it?” She asked as she quirked an eyebrow.

“Oh… you know. This and that.” He ran his hands through his hair and chuckled.

Donna had had enough. He was lying to her and she was so done with men like that in her life. “Doctor! If you can’t be honest with me I am taking the next Tardis back to Chiswick.”

He sighed and shook his head. “It’s a Time Lord thing.”

“So what? You scared I’m gonna run away? Look I don’t care if you’ve secretly got tentacles in your pants or wings hidden away in another dimension.” Donna snapped. 

“What?!" The Doctor looked disturbed by her suggestions. “Tentacles?!” 

“Oh I don’t know do I?!” She shot back. “You won’t tell me anything!”

“I’m a telepath.” He admitted, watching her reaction carefully. 

“What like the Tardis?” Donna asked. “You aren’t digging around in my head are you?” She stared at him in shock and stepped back cautiously. She’d had some…. awkward thoughts about their relationship, especially when they been on the beach, or when she’d landed on top of him in her wedding dress. 

The Doctor put his hands up in defence “No! no no. Not like the Tardis. Well… I’m psychically linked with her. It’s part of how I pilot her but no. I’m not in your head. Time Lords are touch telepaths. We can read minds, memories, dreams but it only works properly if we are touching. Otherwise, we’d have to create mental bonds to be able to communicate properly over distance.” He ran his hands through his hair and watched her take in what he had said.

“Mental bonds? What’s that then?” Donna asked curiously. 

“Something Time Lords do, did. Sort of like a marriage bond, and between parents and children.” He explained with a far-off look in his eyes. “That’s all gone now though. Just me.” 

“I’m sorry.” Donna said quietly and curled into his side as they sat against the wall. He put his arm around her shoulder to allow her to rest her head on his chest. She could hear his heart echoing in his chest. She paused as she listened closer. There was an echo. “You have two hearts?”

“Well… yeah. That too. Big old alien me.” He grinned. 

“But no tentacles?” She teased. 

He chuckled and hugged her tighter. “Nope. No wings either.”

“Anything else I should know? Mister mighty Time Lord?” She asked. She felt a happy kind of warmth in her chest. He was finally starting to open up to her. For someone who talked a lot she realised she still really didn’t know a lot about her travel companion. 

“Eventually but I think that’s enough to dump on you in one day don’t you think?” His chin rested on top of her head. 

“Oh alright, spaceman.” She conceded. It wasn’t perfect but it was a start. 

* * *

“It’s this way!” Donna insisted. They taken two right turns in a row and she was not going to take another one. They’d be going round in circles if they did.

“The sonic says it’s this way." The Doctor insisted, glaring at her and waving the infernal whirring blue device in her face. “So it’s this way!”

She batted it away and spun away from him. They’d reached a fork in the road and Donna’s gut was telling her to turn left. Every cell in her body was telling her to turn left and he just wasn’t listening to her! Men and their toys. She huffed and crossed her arms. “I’m going left!” She insisted stubbornly, not looking behind her at the Doctor. 

“Donna, we need to stick together." The Doctor sighed. 

“Excellent idea, alien boy. So we’re going my way.” She started to walk in her chosen direction but the Doctor grabbed her hand and spun her back to face her. 

“The sonic says to turn right.” He said firmly. “So we’re going right.”

“You’re not the one in charge here, mate!” Donna had half a mind to slap him. God he was infuriating! 

“Time Lord, Tardis? Yeah I am.” He tilted his head and glared at her. Oh well now. This was a familiar argument. He hadn’t won the first time and he wouldn’t win this time either.

Donna was furious. “Donna, Human, no!” She yelled back just as she had in Pompeii. “I’m going left!” She wrenched her hand away from his and stomped away from him. 

“Donna!” He called after her but there were no footsteps coming from the Time Lord. He wasn’t following her. 

Donna didn’t answer. She could feel her eyes welling up with tears. “Get a grip!” She hissed under her breath. She always did this, started crying when she got angry. It was the most frustrating thing. She finally heard the Doctor’s feet thudding against the rocky path but to Donna’s amazement his footsteps were getting quieter. 

He had turned right!

And he was obviously expecting her to give in and follow him but Donna was stubborn and she was also convinced that she was going the right way. She sped up and wrapped her arms around her waist. The caves were starting to get a little draughty. She should have worn a thicker coat, something with a hood too. She’d lost count of how many times water had dripped on her head from the ceiling. 

After a few minutes of walking in angry silence she reached a large open room with a waterfall pouring from a hole in the ceiling right in the middle of the room. To the left of it was a strange and familiar rock formation that spiralled down from the ceiling like a string of DNA, but that wasn’t the most incredible thing in the cavernous space. 

On the opposite side of the room, stood the Doctor. They both turned behind them to the passage they had just come from and then back to each other. 

“What?!" The Doctor called in shock but Donna didn’t have time for his befuddlement. 

Donna had a point to prove. “See!” She called back, pointing at the ceiling. “Weird spiral thingy! Come on Doctor, nature doesn’t make copies like that!” 

“But how?!" The Doctor asked again looking dumbstruck as he trotted over to her.

“I don’t know! You tell me! Alien planets are your speciality not mine!” Donna shouted back. 

The Doctor rubbed his temples and groaned. His eyes were squeezed shut and he had a pained look on his face. “You still can’t hear it?”

“Not a whisper. Doctor what’s going on?” Donna reached out and brushed his floppy fringe away from his eyes. 

“It’s so loud.” He hissed through gritted teeth and leant against the wall near Donna’s head. His hand caught on one of the lights and he pulled back with a yelp. A deep red scorch mark had brandished the palm of his hand. 

“How can I help?” Donna asked as she took his hand, inspecting the wound. He shook his head and pulled away. “Oh come on, you bandaged my feet. At least let me see, daft alien.” 

The burn was already beginning to blister and his hand was deep red in colour. It looked painful. Donna had never seen a lightbulb burn quite like it. The lights weren’t even that bright, in fact if she had to guess she would say they were getting dimmer. So why were they so hot? And why wasn’t there some kind of barrier to stop people getting hurt? And now, to top it all off, the Doctor’s headaches were getting worse. At first the singing had been a beautiful song that only he could hear but it was becoming stronger, louder, angrier. Neither of them could work out what it meant. 

He gave her a soft smile as she inspected his hand. She was caught for a moment in his eyes. For a man with such a young face, his eyes always seemed so old. They could be sparkling and childlike, even vulnerable at times but those eyes had seen more death and destruction than any other being in the universe. She returned his smile and blushed. 

“I don’t have any bandages or wipes.” She muttered apologetically. “Or paracetamol for your head. God I’m just useless aren’t I?” 

“Anything but. I feel better already.” He grinned widely. “Best temp nurse in Chiswick.”

She laughed at that and looked around the cavern. The large waterfall was still roaring in the centre of the roomy cave. It was definitely darker than when they first arrived and it was absolutely the same place, regardless how much the Doctor denied it. Donna was starting to wish she’d drawn tally marks on the walls each time they’d passed through. It was starting to get proper creepy in the caves. Less tourist hotspot and more psycho horror film. 

They’d been walking for hours and still hadn’t seen another living soul. She said as much to the Doctor who just stared at her like she was the messiah. 

“Oooh Donna! You are…”

“Don’t say it!” Donna tried to interrupt him.

“Brilliant! No you are! Absolutely brilliant!" The Doctor kissed her on the forehead and ran to the middle of the cave. “Come on then!” He shouted up to the ceiling. 

“Doctor, what are you talking about?” Donna yelled at him but he shushed her with a wave of his hands. 

“Come on!! You got us here! Heart of the Caves. We found on the first go didn’t we?" The Doctor spun round with his arms spread out wide. “But stupid me I didn’t notice. It didn’t match that map we got, ten minutes of walking was far too soon to reach the centre of the biggest cave network in the universe. So we walked away!” 

“You have got to be kidding me…” Donna hissed under her breath as she began to process the Doctor’s words. They’d be walking for what felt like days… and he was saying they’d been in the right place all along!

“So you sang louder! Big old telepathic alien walks in, first time in centuries that a person walked in who was on the right wavelength and we just ignored you! All the other creatures thought the song was a metaphor but not me. I could hear you. You couldn’t just let us… well… me, walk away. You’ve been changing the paths! Manipulating our journey so we aways ended back here, but I was thick! Not like Donna here, I didn’t even notice! Too busy trying to block out the noise in my head! So come on then! What do you want?!”

Donna’s head suddenly exploded with noise. She fell to her knees and grasped her temples in her hands. The sound was devastating.They were hurt. Whatever they were, they were in so much pain. Donna cried out as the emotions overcame her. The singing wouldn’t stop. Was this what the Doctor had been hearing this entire time? How had he ignored it? 

“Donna!" The Doctor almost tripped over his own feet as he scrambled to her side. She felt his heavy coat being draped over her shoulders and his fingers were pressing against her temples. “Shhhh. “ He whispered quietly. “I’ve got you. It’s ok.” The pain that seared at the back of her eyes eased off slightly but she could still hear the music. It was indescribable, perhaps a language so old that even the Tardis couldn’t translate it. “Let her go!" The Doctor ordered the voice. 

“Doctor….” She heard her voice speak. It was shaking and it almost felt like the words weren’t her own. 

Her head was filled with pictures, memories that weren’t her own. The caves were singing joyfully, a completely different song to what was pounding in her head now. It was beautiful. Oh it was so beautiful and there were visitors to the caves. Not very often but when they came the caves would sing to welcome them. They had climbing gear and picnics and once they had explored they would return back to their homes. Oh but the rocket had come. Humans, by the looks of it, Men in suits with drills and electricity. They built a little shop and a restaurant at the surface of the planet and they added a stream of lights along the caves’s passageways. They drilled into the rocks and threaded wires all the way through. The pain tore through Donna’s body and she screamed. It was like they were in her blood, in her soul. She wanted to scratch her skin and pull the pain away. 

“It’s ok Donna.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ll fix it.”

“Shut up spaceman and listen!” Donna snapped. His jaw dropped and he nodded dumbly. Apparently speechless, that was new. “They need help. The lights…” Donna hissed through gritted teeth. 

“The lights? What about the lights?" The Doctor asked. “Why didn’t it tell me this?” He added as an after thought.

“They did, but your superior Time Lord mind didn’t listen! Too many mental walls. You only heard the song, not the meaning.” Donna glared at him. “And you still aren’t listening!” Donna thought hard about the song she was hearing. The Doctor said he was a telepathic alien right? If she could just try and push what she was interpreting from the song to the Doctor… if he could just understand. The pain. They were in so much pain.

Wait. What had he said? Touch telepath? 

His fingers were on her temples still, trying to block the pain she supposed. She mirrored his pose and touched her own fingers to his temples and screamed in her mind. 

“Oooh… The lights!!!" The Doctor sprung up with his sonic screwdriver in his hand and pointed the device up at the ceiling. He whirred louder than she had even heard it before and the lights went out. 

Donna fell to the floor as the noise in her head went quiet. The pain subsided and she noticed her cheeks were damp and her palms were sore from where she had been digging in her nails. 

“Flipping hell…” She hissed as she passed out on the cold damp stone.

* * *

“Donna." The Doctor’s voice murmured in her ear. She groaned and tried to roll over. The daft alien better not be in her room again. She’d already told him personal boundaries were meant to be respected but he’d struggled with the idea. She wondered how often he’d just barged into Rose’s room before her, or any of his former companions. She got the feeling that she was only the last in a long line. “Come on sleepy head." The Doctor insisted and she felt his hand squeeze her arm. 

“Go away.” She whined and hid her head in her hair. She blinked her eyes open when she realised that her hair was damp. What the heck? She never went to bed with wet hair. It was a recipe for disaster, frizz that could be seen from space… or from Earth she supposed. 

“Can’t do that, Donna.” He laughed at her. Bloody cheek. She swatted the air with her hands and laughed when she heard him yelp. “Ow! What was that for?” 

“Waking me up. I need my beauty sleep.” Donna tried to sit up in the dark as she struggled to open her eyes. Why did her head hurt so much?

“Nonsense. You look lovely." The Doctor must have shuffled away because his voice seemed further away now. 

“Shut up Spaceman.” Donna paused as she blinked a couple of times. The room stayed dark. “It’s dark.” She said, feeling a tad daft. 

“Oh yeah. Sorry that was me." The Doctor laughed.

“Why?” Donna asked trying to remember what had happened before she decided to take a nap on what felt like a rock. 

A rock. 

The Singing Caves! 

The whole thing came flooding back to her right up to when she’d blacked out… pun intended. 

“The lights were drilled into the rock. Like they were hardwired into the central nervous system of the caves. The caves are alive Donna! It’s brilliant! The whole planet is alive, it is stunning. Simply a work of art! Molto Bene!” He sang happily.

“How’d you work that out then dumbo?” Donna grinned even though she knew that he couldn’t see her. 

“My best friend did all the hard work.” She felt his hand brush against hers and she linked their fingers easily. “No living soul in the caves. That’s what you said right?”

“Right. But I was wrong” She laughed at his ridiculousness although she felt all happy and warm inside when he called her his best friend. They’d only known each other a short time, about a week? It was hard to tell in the vortex, but already he thought of her as his best friend, her, a temp from Chiswick. It was madness. 

“Oh yes. Completely. But it gave me the idea. Connected the dots! There was no one else in the caves but us. So why could I hear the song singing in my head?”

“I don’t know. Why?” She laughed. Sometimes she felt like he needed a companion just so they could ask questions at the right times, or in her experience to yell at him when he was being a space dumbo. 

“Because we weren’t alone. The Singing Caves were just that, caves that could sing! Isn’t that brilliant?!" The Doctor was grinning. She couldn’t see him but she could just picture his face with that stupidly dazzling grin and his freckles and sparkling eyes. 

“They were in pain.” She stated. It was the one thing that was burnt into her memory. The pain. 

“Yeah. Well, humans. You do have a tendency to just barge in and take over, never stopping to think what or who you might hurt." The Doctor’s voice went cold and Donna almost shivered. He could still be terrifying when he got like this. 

“I’m sorry.” Donna whispered quietly. She knew deep down it wasn’t her fault but that didn’t make her feel any better. To her surprise she was pulled into a hug by the Doctor. Her face squished uncomfortably against his boney shoulder, the dark making it difficult to embrace properly. 

“It’s humans like you, Donna Noble, that make it all worth it.” His voice tickled in her ear and she wrapped her arms round what she was ninety-eight percent sure was his waist. 

“So…” She started with a hint of mischief in her voice. “How do we find our way back to the Tardis? I’m hoping we can take the quick route.” She paused as a thought struck her. “How did we keep ending up in the same chamber all over again?” 

“Oh that… The Caves were changing around us, moving the corridors so we always turned up where we were needed." The Doctor explained.

“Like Hogwarts?” Donna asked, thinking about the moving staircases in the fictional castle… well, she assumed it was fictional. She was starting to doubt a lot of things these days. Somehow, Hogwarts and magic didn’t seem so fantastical anymore. 

“Exactly. Oh hang on.” She felt him shuffle away from her and there was the noise of fabric ruffling before the cave lit up in a blue light. The Doctor was holding up the sonic screwdriver and grinning down at her like a kid on Christmas. “Much better. I can see you!”

Donna laughed and pretended to shield her eyes. “Urgh. Turn it off. It was better in the dark!”

“I’ll have you know I’ve been told I’m very handsome! One of my best I think.” He ruffled his hair and ran his tongue over his teeth before giving Donna a dazzling smile. Even in the dim blue light, Donna could make out his handsome features but she would never give him the pleasure of admitting it. 

“I’ll have you know that they must have been blind. You’re all ego and hair gel. Tardis?” She quipped. 

“Oh I don’t know if you deserve it." The Doctor nudged her and flipped the sonic in his hands causing the light to spin around the cave, moving the shadows ominously. 

“Get off.” She teased. “Come on last one back is on tea duty! Allons-y, Spaceman!” She scrambled to her feet and darted off away from the Doctor. The corridor was dark ahead of her but she was relying on the fact that the cave spirit, or whatever they were, would lead them straight to the exit now they’d destroyed the humans’s tourist trade. 

Luckily her hunch was right and she almost slammed straight into the door of the Tardis before the Doctor came barrelling after her. She squeaked in surprised as she felt his body push up against hers. 

“Oi!” She yelped and tried to wriggle away from him. His long arms reached around her, trapping her between his body and the Tardis, and slotted the Tardis key into the lock. 

They tumbled into the Tardis as the doors swung open and Donna face planted the floor, before the Doctor landed heavily on top of her. 

“Hello.” He grinned as she wriggled onto her back, which she quickly realised was a mistake as she found herself less than an inch away from his face. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheeks and she struggled to catch her breath. Those eyes were simply captivating. 

“Hands!” She shrieked, her customary defence mechanism, and he rolled off her laughing. She soon joined in and she could even feel the Tardis tittering in the back of her mind. It was good to be home. 

* * *

Donna sipped her tea. It was warm and sweet and the ultimate comfort drink. She hummed happily as she felt the warm liquid hit her stomach as she grasped onto her mug. It was one she’d picked out from the cupboards on one of her first mornings in the Tardis. It supposedly changed colour depending on what drink was in it. So far she’d worked out that a golden yellow meant hot tea, but it went a strange moss green if she forgot it and the tea went cold. Water was a crystal blue, Asgardian Mead was a plethora of colours, and ginger beer was, predictably bright orange. It clashed with her hair terribly. 

The Doctor was perched on top of the kitchen counter sipping his own tea. His mug was one of those novelty kinds that said ‘trust me, I’m a Doctor.’ When Donna had asked he’d said that a friend had gotten it for him. She wondered if it had been Rose or someone else but she left it. 

“So how come I could hear the singing at the end there?” Donna asked as she nibbled on a biscuit. They’d had cheesy pasta for dinner but she was still hungry, the amount of walking they’d done around the caves had really taken it out of her. So they were having some tea whilst they waited for the banana bread to finish baking. It was her grandmother’s recipe and miraculously the Doctor had managed to help her without getting flour everywhere. It was a feat that would probably not be repeated anytime soon. 

“Hmm… Dunno. Maybe once I opened my mind to the creature it was able to follow that link back to the Tardis and then onto you?" The Doctor pondered. 

“But why? You’re the brainy one.” Donna looked down at her tea not wanting to meet the Doctor’s eyes. 

“You know why." The Doctor replied in that ominous manner that he had managed to perfect over his nine hundred years of existing. 

“Do I?” She laughed, it was self-deprecating, she knew it was but old habits were hard to break. Even if the Doctor thought she was brilliant, that didn’t make it true. 

“I was being thick. I wasn’t listening, too busy trying to show off, trying to impress you." The Doctor admitted with a blush. 

Donna stared at him. He couldn’t mean that. He probably just meant impress her in the way all blokes like to show off their cars and money and high end jobs, not impress her in _that _way. Not in the flowers and chocolates kind of way. It was probably the tea making him flush. Right? She felt the Tardis laughing at her so she swatted the kitchen counter lightly and pushed her disapproval back at the ship. 

“You don’t need to impress me, Spaceman. You’re my best friend.” She repeated his words from earlier. 

“Yeah. I guess I am aren’t I?” He grinned as he took another sip of tea. 

Donna was about to shoot back her reply about him not getting too cocky when the oven timer started to beep. 

“Cake!” They shouted in unison and they both scrambled for the oven gloves. The Doctor’s mug skidded across the kitchen counter and Donna almost dropped hers on the floor in her haste to put it on the table. The both reached the oven gloves at the same time and laughter rang out through the Tardis. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you'll have noticed that I've thrown Fires of Pompeii into series 3. Basically I think that their relationship grows a lot because of that episode. I think we really see Donna as the Doctor's equal in that episode. We really see her challenge him and so early on in their adventures. I didn't want to lose that growth between them and I think the moment where they push the lever together is such a turning point for them but it wouldn't have had such an effect if it had happened later on... so I moved the episode to before this chapter instead. Hope you don't mind! Let me know what you think :) 
> 
> Next chapter we meet Martha! Who's excited? I'm excited! 
> 
> (Also for those that are interested I've written just over 130 000 words for this now and it's almost finished! Can I hear a wahoo?... wait no. Wrong fandom!)


	5. Noble and Jones

Alarms were sounding in the console room of the Tardis. It had woken Donna up quite suddenly and she’d walked into both the corner of her bed, which she could feel was already starting to leave a bruise, and her bathroom door whilst she tried to get dressed enough to go find out what on Earth was going on. 

They’d spent a few days, or what felt like days, she wasn’t entirely sure, in the time vortex after the Caves. They’d both needed to recover from all the walking and the mental attacks of their last trip and the Doctor hadn’t been able to guarantee a relaxing trip outside of the Tardis so Donna had put her foot down. It was about time she got to explore the wonders of his mad ship after all. She’d barely seen past her room, the kitchen and the console room before the Caves. 

Donna’s favourite room so far was the library. She wasn’t the greatest reader in the world, she often got distracted before she could fully immerse herself into the book, but the room itself was beautiful. Unlike a lot of the Tardis, there was almost no real indications that she was on a space ship once she was inside. It was warm, with a soft fluffy Tardis blue carpet and dozens of bookshelves each one beautifully carved from a dark wood with intricate circular patterns engraved into the wood. Donna had noticed similar circles dotted around the console on post-it notes. She decided it must be some kind of language. The books themselves were a mess. There was absolutely no system to it all. Donna figured that the Doctor just added to it whenever he found a new book so they were probably newest to oldest going away from the door. In the centre of the library was a lavish reading area with an assortment of what were probably alien plants, and a roaring open fireplace. The fire never seemed to need any wood or attention and the room was never too hot. Donna poked it once with a tong to confirm it wasn’t a hologram and it crackled delightfully.

There was an assortment of old photographs on the mantlepiece of various people stood outside the Tardis. Donna had thought it was most curious. It was almost like a family photograph but there was no sign of the Doctor except in the last photo. The Doctor was stood outside the Tardis on a beautiful bright green lawn with a pretty blonde girl who she assumed was Rose. She was wearing similar clothes to the top she’d found when she first appeared in the console room. Rose was in another photo too, next to three men who Donna didn’t recognise. Rose was holding the arm of a slightly older man in a leather jacket with short hair, and next to him was an attractive brunet who Donna had thought looked very dishy indeed. On the other side of Rose was a younger black man who had his arm around her shoulder possessively, an old boyfriend maybe? The photo looked like it was taken in Cardiff of all places. Donna had supposed the Doctor must have been the one taking the photograph. The only thing that really linked the photos was the Tardis. She had made a mental note to ask the Doctor about it but it had slipped her mind every time she’d seen him. 

The library floor was also currently covered in books. Donna had decided that if she was going to stay with the Doctor forever, like she planned, then she couldn’t live with a library that was not organised. She wasn’t called Super Temp for no reason. The Tardis had helped her section off the bookshelves into different genres, now it was just a case of finding the right books for the right bookshelf. It wasn’t easy when the Doctor wouldn’t let her look at half the future books. Something about timelines and paradoxes, so she’d insisted he help her with those ones. Once she’d got the piles sorted then she could start alphabetising them. It was a slightly tedious job but it made her feel useful and gave her something to do on their days off from running for their lives and being trapped by sentient caves. 

It hadn’t taken long for the Doctor to get bored of mulling around the Tardis though. Soon enough they were back to the adventures. They’d been attacked by weird clone hands in Edinburgh that had apparently been gifted to Benjamin Franklin. The Doctor had teased Donna mercilessly about that one for days after. He kept creeping up on her in dark corridors of the Tardis and crawling his hand up her back, making her scream. He stopped once she managed to get her own back. The Tardis had helped her to sneak about unseen before she jumped out at him with an armful of weird plastic hands she’d found in a box under the grates in the console room. He’d screamed like one those damsels in distress in a horror film, and then made her promise never to mention it again. 

After that they’d gone off hunting for the last Dodo, and in typical Doctor fashion had ended up in a museum full of almost extinct species. The owner collected the last of every species he could get his hand on, which had not been great for Mister Last of The Time Lords. Donna had tried to pretend she was a Time… Lady? She still hadn’t worked out what female Time Lord’s were called. He’d dodged the answer to that one. Her plan hadn’t worked though, they’d forced her into a chair and listened to her one singular heartbeat. Probably just as well, they might have tried to get them to make Time Babies otherwise. She wondered if the Doctor had ever ended up in a shag or die scenario… he must have… all that travelling and all those planets… 

Still. She was glad they’d avoiding it. It had just ended up with their traditional running for their lives scenario instead.

And talking of running for their lives… Donna’s head was ringing. That damned alarm was still blaring from the console room. Donna padded down the hall wearily as she pulled on her leather jacket. She hadn’t bothered with make up and she’d just thrown her hair up into a ponytail, she figured planet saving danger was probably worse than getting her make up done right. 

What do you need an alarm for in a time machine anyway? She pushed that thought angrily towards the Tardis. Couldn’t you just turn up at exactly the time you’re needed? No need for alarms. The Tardis responded by turning up the alarm and Donna had to cover her ears with her hands.

“Alright missus! Keep your hair on!” She glared up at the ceiling but patted the wall fondly. She hadn’t meant to upset the ship. It had been a genuine question. This whole relative time and space thing wasn’t easy to get her head around. 

“DONNA!!" The Doctor yelled from the console room.

“DOCTOR!!” She yelled back in the same tone and hurried along the corridor.

“HURRY UP WILL YOU?!” He yelled as she entered the room. “Ah there you are! Morning!” He grinned and passed her a steaming cup of tea before whizzing off around the console. 

Donna smiled fondly at him and blew on the steaming liquid before taking a sip. God he made good tea. “Thanks, spaceman. So what’s with all the racket?” 

“It’s my Earth alarm!” He smiled widely as he flipped a switch on the console before reaching up with his foot to push down on a button on the other side. 

“Your Earth alarm?” She raised her eyebrow at him.

“Yup!” He dashed to the left and spun some dial with strange circles on. The alarm turned off and Donna shook her head to try and clear the ringing in her ears. “Getting some strange readings from London. The atmospheric static electricity levels around central London are through the roof! See?” He spun one of the screen round so she could see. There were a series of lines darting across the screen with several obvious spikes but Donna had no clue what it meant. She swatted the screen back to face him and braced herself against the Tardis console as it suddenly gave a jolt. 

“Atmospheric static electricity levels? Oh you know what, never mind. What’s the plan?” She asked as he pulled a lever by her left hand. 

“Well I tried triangulating the spikes of energy and it seems to be converging… here.” He adjusted the screen and pointed to a map of London. “The Royal Hope Hospital and oooh look!” He typed furiously on his keyboard and the screen zoomed in. “Plasma coils! All around the hospital.”

“The Hospital? You think they’re doing some strange alien experiments in a London hospital?” Donna asked incredulously. 

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time…" The Doctor admitted and ran his hands through his hair. 

“Well isn’t that wizard.” Donna replied sarcastically. Her dad had visited the Royal Hope just before her wedding to get some blood tests done. Now the Doctor was telling her there was potentially alien activity in the hospital. Brilliant. Just Brilliant. “So you’re a Doctor. Just flash your thingy and say Doctor things.”

“Flash my thingy?" The Doctor quirked an eyebrow and smirked as he reached over her to pull a lever down slowly. The engine slowed as the Tardis landed. 

Donna blushed and hit his arm. “Shove off. You know what I meant.” 

“That could work.” He laughed but decided to let her off easy “but they might not tell me what’s going on if I do that. New Doctor in the hospital would cause too much fuss. Probably better to go undercover, pose as a patient maybe?” 

“What with your two hearts?” Donna rolled her eyes. For a genius he really could be a dumbass sometimes. “I’ll do it.”

“Well how do I get in?" The Doctor protested. 

“I don’t know! Say you’re my brother or something. Now what’s wrong with me?” Donna asked as she started making a mental list of reasons she could get into the hospital for more than a quick visit. 

“That’s a loaded question." The Doctor teased. Donna swatted his arm and raised an eyebrow at him. She didn’t have time for his nonsense. “Unexplained headaches in your temporal lobe? Maybe a dash of amnesia thrown in?” He suggested. “Doctor’s get scared with chest pains and brain stuff.”

“Brain stuff?” She teased. “Is that the technical term?” 

“Oh yes. Come on Donna! Allons-y!”

* * *

Martha Jones had had a strange morning. She’d almost been late for work when her first three sets of alarms didn’t go off properly and she had to scramble around her room like a mad woman to get ready in time. Not to mention having to act as a mediator for her entire family. She was training to be a medical doctor not a psychiatrist for Pete’s sake. Still, family. You can’t live without them. 

And then there had been the tie man. She briefly wondered whether she should call the police. He seemed a little unhinged, could he be a danger to himself? To others? It was just a tie though, it would be alright. She tried to put the incident out of her mind. He had probably just mistaken her for someone else. 

Oh and what was with that strange motorcyclist?

She shook her head. It was probably the weather making people act crazy. The closer she got to work, the darker the clouds got. She could practically feel the static electricity in the air by the time she walked through the doors. 

She knocked back the dregs of her coffee and headed towards her locker. She would probably need another steaming cup of coffee before noon, she’d been up too late the night before trying to study. It wasn’t easy training to be a doctor, not as a young black woman. The blokes in her class kept laughing and suggesting she should be a nurse instead, it didn’t matter that she was top of her class. It was a constant fight for recognition but Martha Jones had been playing doctors since she was a little girl, ever since she had broken her arm after falling off a swing, and she was not going to give up her dream because some arsehole was being a sexist pig. 

She yelped in pain as her fingers brushed the cool metal of her locker. The air lit up with a bright spark of electricity. That was strange. Normally static electricity could only really been seen in the dark. She remembered purposely taking off her big fluffy winter jumpers in the dark when she was younger. She loved to watch the fabric spark with little tiny blue specks of energy. It made her hair frizz up like mad, which always made her feel self conscious, but the excitement she felt, when she saw the sparks crackle into life, made it all worth it. In the hospital the electricity was a bright fork of energy between her fingers and the locker. 

“What the…?” she muttered to herself as she mentally added the incident onto her growing list of strange things to happen to her that morning. 

* * *

Salt deficiency. 

Of all the stupid things to mess up. Martha was mentally berating herself as she followed the group towards the next ward. Mr Stoker was still wittering on about the wonders of salt and Hippocrates. Martha wanted to listen to her tutor but God was he making it difficult. She was distracted by the sound of the elevator. When she turned to look she noticed the strange motorcyclist from earlier in the morning… and he had a friend? They were wearing completely matching outfits. Perhaps they had been on the way to some convention or something?

Mr Stoker pulled back the curtain of the bed to introduce their next patient and her husband. Martha stared at the man in shock. It was tie man! Why on Earth was he here? 

“Now then, Mrs Noble, a very good morning to you.” Mr Stoker was saying to the ginger patient lying on the bed but Martha couldn’t take her eyes off the man sat next to her. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to work out why he had run up to her earlier but he took no notice of her. It was like he didn’t even recognise her. 

“Oh you know.” Mrs Noble shrugged her shoulders and wrinkled her nose. “Not so bad. I’d be better if my _husband._” She looked pointedly at the man next to her with a glare. “would stop talking my ear off.” 

“I’m just worried about you, Pumpkin.” The handsome brunet took Mrs Noble’s hand and placed a chase kiss on her palm. Martha almost felt like she should look away to give them some space. 

“Worry less, Spaceman.” Mrs Noble shot back grumpily. 

“Donna here was admitted yesterday due to severe headaches, dizzy spells and mild amnesia. Jones why can’t you see what you can find? Amaze me.” Mr Stoker continued his lesson. Martha looked up at the sound of her name. Finally! A second chance to impress him, to make up for her failure earlier, and maybe she could scope out what the deal with Mr Noble was. 

“She’s got you out on the coffee run this morning, Mr Noble?” Martha asked him as she pulled her stethoscope to her ears.

“I’m sorry what?” He raised an eyebrow at her and shared a look with his wife. 

“On Chancellor Street this morning? Came up to me and took your tie off?” Martha reminded him. 

Donna laughed. “Oh I wish. He’s been here all morning! Can’t even get him to leave me for the bog.” 

Martha blinked, but that was impossible. The man she’d seen was a spitting image of the man in front of her. He was wearing blue suit now instead of a brown one but it was definitely him. Even the long brown trench coat was the same. That was just fantastic. Another thing for her list.

“It’s because I just love you so much!” Mr Noble looked at Mrs Noble with complete devotion and a dopey grin on his face.

“Not as much as I love you, Sugar Pie.” Donna cooed back, equally besotted by her husband. Martha rolled her eyes and decided they must be honeymooning still. It was sickening.

“Must have been someone else.” She muttered as she checked Donna’s heart, nothing out of the ordinary but the redhead did wink at her husband. Martha assumed there was probably some weird in joke there. Martha got a small torch out and shone it into Donna’s eyes. She couldn’t see anything unusual, her pupils were dilating as they should. “Have you been eating properly, Mrs Noble?” Martha asked her patient as she remember Mr Stoker’s previous patient. It could explain the dizziness. 

“If you count copious amount of banana bread as properly. Then yes.” Donna smirked at her husband. 

“Love bananas! Full of potassium.” He grinned. “And Donna made shepherd’s pie two nights ago before the headaches started, not that she can remember it. Honestly, Miss Jones, her shepherd’s pie is to die for! Well, regenerate… Well, maybe get a stomach cramp. I’m rather fond of this face.” 

“John, Sugarplum. Shut up!” Donna cut him off sharply.

“Sorry, Pumpkin” He smiled sheepishly and then reached out to bop his wife on the nose affectionately. “Boop!” 

She looked a little startled by the action but soon regained her composure. “Did you just ‘boop’ me?” She narrowed her eyes at her husband but she was still smiling. 

“Yes I did! Boop!” Mr Noble did it again and Martha was starting to wish Mr Stoker had picked on another patient. These two were driving her insane. 

“Boop!” Donna retaliated. 

Martha suppressed a groan. She was dealing with children. If she’d wanted to specialise in paediatrics then she would have done. Luckily for everyone involved, Mr Stoker had had enough of his patient’s antics. 

“Well, Miss Jones? Any ideas?” Mr Stoker asked. Martha wracked her brains for the answer, any answer but she was put off by the Nobles. They were really peculiar. What on Earth was he talking about regeneration and faces for? and what did that have to do with shepherd’s pie? and could they please stop pawing at each other?!

“Umm… headaches?” She said dumbly. She knew it was a mistake as soon as the words left her lips. Headaches? really? Come on, Jones! You’re better than this!

“That is a symptom, not a diagnosis.” Mr Stoker sighed. Donna, however, gave her a comforting smile. She almost looked a little guilty? Martha smiled back. She quite liked this fierce woman. She almost felt like a kindred spirit. Martha got the feeling that Donna had spent just as much time as she had being looked down on and underestimated. “And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient’s charts.” Mr Stoker continued. 

Martha berated herself. Damn it! Was she ever going to get this right? Maybe everyone was right? Maybe she should have dropped out of med school.

“Hey.” Donna touched her arm softly. “It’s alright. You’re still learning.” She said softly and gave her a fond smile. She had a kind soul, Martha decided. Maybe what she could learn from this failed patient encounter was to always be kind. Be kind and check the damn chart!

Mr Stoker picked up the offending chart and dropped it almost immediately. Martha recognised the odd spark of electricity and admitted the same thing had happened to her this morning. The rest of the med students recounted similar experiences whilst Mr and Mrs Noble watched them raptly and before long Mr Noble was rambling on about Benjamin Franklin and how they were friends. He seemed like a bloody know it all, a mad one at that. Martha really should have called the police this morning when she seen him. There was something not quite right there. 

Poor Mrs Noble. He was probably the cause of all her headaches.

* * *

Martha Jones was more right that she could have imagined. Donna may not actually be suffering from severe headaches and amnesia but the Doctor was definitely enough to give her a migraine. 

Married! 

Again!!

The cheek of it.

She’d told him to tell the nurses they were brother and sister but did he listen to her? Noooo. Of course he didn’t, the idiotic Martian. What was with him and his insistence to tell hospital staff they were married? They were really starting to make a habit of this.

He’d marched right up to the receptionist and introduced them as Doctor Noble and Mrs Noble. She had wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole but Donna was a survivor and three years of improv classes had prepared her for this. She shuffled closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, digging her fingers in between his ribs for good measure. She was delighted when he emitted a squeak at her action. Time Lords are still ticklish apparently. The whole thing had quickly developed into a game between them. The pet names got more and more ridiculous and the Doctor absolutely refused to leave her side. If it wasn’t so embarrassing then it would have been kind of sweet. Of course they had completely bamboozled Miss Jones, the young medical student. No wonder she couldn’t find any cause of the headaches, there weren’t any. Donna hoped that she hadn’t completely ruined the young girl's career. 

“Right. I’m going to have a look around. You coming?" The Doctor asked with a twinkle in his eyes. 

“I’m in my pyjamas!” Donna protested. 

“And you look lovely.” He replied and held out his hand, wriggling his fingers. “It’s getting worse. I can taste it in the air. It takes like…” He stuck his tongue out and tasted the air dramatically. “like fireworks? But less sooty” 

“Electricity tastes like fireworks?” Donna asked in disbelief. 

“That’s what I said now come on!” He grinned. 

Donna rolled her eyes as hauled herself off the bed. “I swear you make half this stuff up but alright, Doctor Noble.” She winked at him and took his head. “Allons-y!” 

They wandered around the corridors of the hospital. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the air. He stared at the panel on the small device and scowled, putting the screwdriver in between his teeth and shoving his hands in his pockets. He pulled out a strange contraption that looked like it had been stuck together with duck tape, which it probably had, and stared as a little light flickered on and off. 

“Ooh… that’s not good." The Doctor muttered as he tucked his sonic back into his pocket. 

“Not good as in the world is ending or not good as in the chippy’s run out of vinegar for the chips?” Donna quipped as she watched him work. She always felt a bit useless when he started going on about the science stuff. She’d never managed to get to grips with all that at school. 

“Isn’t that the same thing?” He retorted with a toothy grin. They shared a laugh and then he went back to his space scanning thing. “Do you remember when I made it snow?”

“Basic atmospheric excitation?” She remembered. She may not understand the science but she was good with words. 

“Yeah. This isn’t that.” He shoved the device back in his pockets and shot off down the corridor. 

Donna considered chasing after him but she wasn’t really very useful when he started zapping stuff and talking genius. No. She’d let him get on with that. Donna decided to do her own investigation, super temp style. The Doctor was looking for aliens. Donna was looking for anomalies. She knew offices and this hospital wasn’t any different. If only she’d swiped the psychic paper from his pocket, she’d be able to get in and look at the files. She sighed and fiddled with the sleeves of her pyjamas. She’d just have to improvise. She wandered back in the opposite direction to the Doctor. 

* * *

All around her people were screaming, crying and holding each other close. Martha could feel her own heart pounding in her chest but she was a doctor, or least she was going to be, and doctors stayed calm in emergency situations. Someone should really tell that to every other doctor and nurse in the building. It was chaos inside. Everyone had gone mad. All except Doctor Noble. 

There was a certain irony about that. His wife was nowhere to be seen when he’d pulled back the curtain and asked her if she wanted to join him outside. It never even occurred to Martha to say no, and god lord was it beautiful. They were standing side by side on the balcony looking down at the Earth. Martha Jones on the moon. Tish would never believe it. 

Doctor Noble was evermore enigmatic and confusing. Half of what he said made no sense but she found that she trusted him. She liked his wife, and he gave off the vibe that he’d done this sort of thing before. He was probably a Doctor of astrophysics or something. He didn’t seem too concerned about his wife’s disappearance either, which was a little odd considering Donna had mentioned he’d barely left her side since they’d arrived at the hospital. He seemed like a sad man, a lonely man. He had definitely been happier when Donna was by his side. It was like she’d completed him in some way, if you believed in that sort of thing. 

They had oxygen which was the main thing but it was limited and running out. Martha knew it wouldn’t be long before people started to pass out and suffocate to death. Doctor Noble got this look in his eye. It was dark, sad and determined. Like he wanted to crush whoever had caused this suffering. Still, Martha was sure that as long as she survived today she would always be grateful for the view in front of her. It was terrifying but she wouldn’t give it up for the world. Who else could say they had stood on the moon without any spacesuits?

“Why would anyone do that?” Martha asked him as she thought about the amount of people in the hospital who would soon be choking to death. As she spoke the hospital began to shake again and there was a loud roaring that was almost deafening. 

Three huge spaceships flew directly overhead, causing an earthquake, or a moonquake? 

“Heads up! Ask them yourself.” Doctor Noble replied as they held on tight to the railings of the balcony. 

Martha’s mental list of strange things was starting to look more like a novel than a list. She wondered just how much stranger the day would get before a sense of normalcy returned. 

* * *

Donna was taking advantage of the chaos. The move to the moon had knocked out most of the security systems, keeping only the essentials online, so Donna was currently digging through medical records for patients at the hospital. It wasn’t the most ethical thing she’d done but then again she was pretty sure data protection laws didn’t exist on the moon so it wasn’t technically illegal right?

What was strange was a spike in blood transfusions in the hospital over the last couple of weeks. Patients that had appeared to be completely healthy had done 180s overnight and been at death’s door by the morning, looking pale and anaemic. There was no link between the patients, different blood types, different illnesses, different genders, races, sexuality. Some were married, some were single. It was old, and young. The only common factor was they had all needed an emergency blood transfusion. Half a dozen patients in the last two weeks. Not only that but there was missing records of blood being logged out of the blood banks. Donna didn’t need to be a doctor to realise that something fishy was going on. What was it? Some kind of alien vampire? Now she just had to try and work out who was causing it but there had been hundreds of thousands of patients that had been admitted since the spike. It would take her forever to work out on her own. She needed help.

The screen sparked and went blank. Something, or someone, had turned off the computers or locked her out. 

“Fudge!” Donna hissed. Now what was she going to do?

She hoped the Doctor was having more luck on his end working out why they had taken a surprise detour to the moon of all places. 

* * *

An alien.

Doctor Noble, wait no sorry, the Doctor, was an alien.

A real life alien. 

Martha was starting wonder whether she’d ever really woken up this morning. The Doctor was scanning the computer with what he had called a sonic screwdriver but wasn’t having much luck. He was still talking nonsense, sonic screwdrivers, laser spanners, Emmeline Pankhurst, but this time Martha was inclined to believe him. What a day! 

Suddenly he lashed out and gave the monitor a hard thump. “What is wrong with this computer?!” He yelled in frustration and ran his hands through his hair. The action made his hair stick up all over the place and he looked weirdly adorable. He was certainly very handsome. Donna was a lucky woman. 

“Oh that won’t work.” A new voice said. They both spun round to see Donna Noble leaning on the doorframe. The Doctor smiled brighter than the sun when he saw her and jumped up to give his wife a hug. 

“Donna!!” He picked her up and spun her around. Donna held on tightly to his neck and laughed at his actions. 

“Hey, love.” She kissed his cheek which caused the Doctor to blush. Definitely newly weds, Martha thought to herself. “I leave you on your own for two minutes and you’ve already replaced me with a younger model?” Donna stroked the Doctor’s cheek and winked at Martha, letting her know she wasn’t really mad with her husband. 

“I would never.” He promised with no hint of joking in his voice. Martha crossed her arms as she watched the couple interact. She had been right. They were good together. Already the Doctor seemed less distressed and distracted. “What do you mean that won’t work?”

“Someone’s shut down the computers. We’ve been locked out.” Donna replied with a grin. 

“Ooh you’ve been busy." The Doctor noted with a proud look on his face. “Oh the Judoon!”

“The what?” Donna asked him. 

“Space Rhino police.” Martha added trying to be helpful. “So what are they looking for?”

“Something that looks human but isn’t." The Doctor muttered through gritted teeth. 

“Oh wizard. Just what we need.” Donna hummed sarcastically. 

“Oh are you alien too?” Martha asked the redhead. She’d seemed human enough before but then so had the Doctor.

Donna laughed and shook her head. “Nah. I leave all that to him. 100% human me. Sorry what was your name?” Donna asked her as she took the Doctor’s hand. 

“Martha. Martha Jones. You’re Donna Noble right?” Martha smiled at the older woman. 

“The one and only.” She turned to face the Doctor. “So, Buttercup, you’ll never guess what I found out.” 

Donna started explaining what she’d found on the computer before it had cut out. An increase in blood transfusions and deaths over the last couple of weeks, and apparently someone had been stealing blood bags from the banks. The Doctor had been thrilled by his wife’s work and started asking Martha if she’d noticed anyone with strange symptoms that had been admitted around that time. Martha couldn’t think of anything but Mr Stoker might know. Wanting to help, Martha suggested that she go and have a look for him whilst the Doctor and Donna tried to fix the computer to see if they could find the records. 

It was a long shot but they were running out of oxygen and Martha had a party to get to tonight. She wasn’t going to let space rhinos ruin it her brother’s birthday. 

* * *

The Doctor slammed the door shut and buzzed the sonic at the lock before hurrying Martha and Donna into the control room. Donna gasped as she tried to get her breath, Martha looked just as exhausted. They were both running on adrenaline. 

“When I say ‘now’ press the button!" The Doctor ordered before spinning round to zap the equipment with his sonic screwdriver. Donna looked to Martha expectantly. She was a medical student right? She would know what to do. These machines all looked like rocket ships to Donna. 

“I don’t know which one!” Martha exclaimed and Donna felt panic begin to bubble in her chest. This was not good. 

“Then find out!" The Doctor yelled back. Martha, ever sensible Martha reached for the operation manual and began scrambling through the pages looking for the answer. Donna was looking at the control panel trying to find some similarities between the printers she’d seen in the past and this complex looking x ray thing. There weren’t many. 

The Doctor was rushing around in the other room, crashing about and buzzing the screwdriver like his life depended on it which it probably did. Donna was not going to panic. She’d faced down the Racnoss, she could work out how to make an x ray work.

“Now!" The Doctor yelled. Martha looked at her with a panicked expression. She hadn’t found the right button in the manual. Donna took a deep breath and together they slammed down on the same big yellow button. The machine whirred into life and the Doctor aimed the machine at the leather wearing motorcyclist. Both aliens lit up and the Doctor’s skeleton shone through his body. Donna almost screamed. What on Tardis was he thinking?! She couldn’t lose him. Not now. Not after everything they’d been through. 

But he seemed ok. 

The daft alien was just staring down at the motorcyclist with a thoughtful look on his stupid freckled face. 

“Oi, Pookie” Donna yelled through the glass. He glanced up at them both with a cheeky smile. 

“What did you do?” Martha asked the question they were both thinking. 

“Increased the radiation by 5000%. Killed him dead." The Doctor turned back to the corpse on the floor with a serious expression on his face. His blue suit was ruffled around the collar. Donna imagine it was what it would look like if someone pulled him in by his lapels and snogged the living daylight out of him. Even his hair was looking sufficiently ruffled. Not that she wanted to kiss him, although he was posing as her husband so nobody would judge her if she did. 

“But isn’t that gonna kill you?” Martha sounded worried as she fussed around the room, putting the manual back in its place. 

“Nah. It’s only roentgen radiation.” He scrunched his nose and sniffed. “We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery.” He added thoughtfully. Donna was gonna kill him, never mind snogging the living daylights out of him. They’d just seen his skeleton and here he was showing off and reminiscing about the past! “It’s safe for you to come out. I’ve absorbed it all.”

Donna launched through the door faster than you could say roentgen radiation. She slapped him hard on the arm and glared fiercely at him. “Don’t pull tricks like that.” She hissed. 

“It’s perfectly safe for me, Love. Time Lord remember?” He rubbed his arm where she’d hit him. 

“Yeah yeah. You’re not invincible mister. I don’t know what kills you. Radiation might be one of those things!” She glared up at him, suddenly angry that he was so much taller than her. How was she supposed to intimidate him if he kept being so much taller than her. Stupid skinny streak of nothing. 

“Not like this. I just need to expel it before it does any damage.” He began to hop madly around the room. “Concentrate.” He murmured with a slightly pained look on his face. Donna glanced at Martha. She was circling the room staring at them both with a wondrous look her face, like she couldn’t quite believe what was going on. It reminded Donna of her aborted wedding day. She’d felt very much the same when she had first met the Doctor. The Doctor was rambling on about energy and shoes and hopping back and forth from one foot to another. 

It was mad even for him. 

“Itches, Itches Itches!” He cried as he flung his left foot about wildly. Donna wondered if all the Time Lords had been quite so crazy, or whether this behaviour was considered normal on Gallifrey. He pulled his shoe off as he yelped about in pain and flung it in the yellow bin. 

Donna and Martha shared a look of disbelief. Martha raised her eyebrow questioningly at Donna who shook her head. This wasn’t normal even for the Doctor. They both giggled at her spaceman and he wriggled his toes, looking ridiculously proud of himself. 

“You’re completely mad.” Martha said in between laughs. 

“You’re right. I look daft with one shoe." The Doctor agreed and proceeded to dump his other shoe in the bin. 

Donna looked around at the three of them. The Doctor who was now bare foot in his customary blue suit, her in her pyjamas and Martha Jones looking like the only sensible person in her lab coat. Donna got the giggles. Yes the entire hospital might be suffocating but you had to appreciate the small things. The Doctor soon crumbled and joined in in her fit of giggles whilst he tried to explain about the ‘slab’ on the floor, even Martha joined in their revelry. Until the Doctor caught sight of something over her shoulder. 

“My sonic screwdriver!” He cried and leapt up to pull the thing from the x ray machine. It was completely burnt out and the Doctor was looking at it like it had just told him his parents were getting a divorce. “I love my sonic screwdriver.” He mumbled sadly staring at the ruined device. 

“Doctor?” Martha tried to get his attention but he was too busy mourning the loss of his precious device. “Doctor!” She tried again but it was no use. 

Donna rolled her eyes, cleared her throat and yell. “Oi!” 

His eyes snapped up and looked at them both. “Yes dear?” He quipped cheekily causing Donna’s cheeks to heat up. She’d almost forgotten about their cover story. Donna crossed her arms and gave him a pointed look. The Doctor tossed the broken sonic over his shoulder and apologised. It was time to work out what the hell was going on here. 

* * *

Donna tried to push the image of Mr Stoker’s cold lifeless body out of her mind. It had been horrible. His face had been ashen and grey. There was not an ounce of blood left in his body. Apparently Martha had caught one of the patients, Miss Finnegan, sucking out his blood with a straw. Donna suppressed a shudder. They’d been too late to save Mr Stoker, she just hoped that no one else would have to die today.

In the halls of the hospital people were sharing the oxygen tanks as they desperately tried to stay alive. Even Donna was starting to feel a little lightheaded. Apparently, when she’d told the nurses she’d been having dizzy spells she was telling the future, but the adrenaline kept her and Martha going. The Doctor wasn’t even showing signs of lack of oxygen. Stupid Time Lord’s and their stupid superior biology. 

It was a Plasmavore according to the Doctor and apparently an incredibly smart one at that. Just their luck. Running into the Judoon had been an unfortunate mishap, they’d identified the Doctor as non-human and once more they’d had to run for their lives. It was a nice change of pace to have Martha running by their side as well. Donna found she liked the young doctor-in-training’s company and it was good to not be the only person in the room that didn’t know what was going on. 

Screams interrupted the Doctor’s monologue as he tried to work out where the Plasmavore was headed. The Judoon came marching through the corridor which was bad news for the Doctor. 

“Find the non-human!” The Judoon roared. “Execute!” 

Blimey they weren’t a very merciful bunch were they? Donna looked up at her best friend hoping he had a plan. The Doctor scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully and then caught her eye. 

“I need more time…” He mumbled to himself and then spun round to face Donna. “Stay here, darling. I need you to hold them up!” He put his hands on her arms and smiled apologetically. 

“How? I’m not the genius here, Sweet Pea!” Donna retorted. Why was he so close to her? Was this part of their act?

“With this ring." The Doctor winked.

“I thee bio-damp” Donna recited, confused as to where he was going with this but before she could ask his lips were on hers. His tongue swiped across her lower lip and she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Holy cow she was right. He was a damn good kisser. Best snog she’d had in years. 

“Stay safe.” He whispered in her ear as he pulled away. 

“You too, Spaceman.” She smiled softly, trying desperately to ignore the way her heart was pounding in her chest. She hoped he hadn’t noticed. She’d blame it on the running if he asked about it later. She stroked his cheek gently and he leaned into the touch. They smiled at each other fondly before he darted off around the corridor. 

Donna watched him go, bare feet and all. Blimey she was going to have to watch her feelings carefully. This was starting to get out of control and neither of them needed that. It was all part of their cover story she told herself. 

“He really loves you.” Martha commented. Donna jumped. She’d forgotten that Martha was even there, she thought that sort of thing only happened in movies. 

“What? Oh… umm.. yeah.” Donna nodded. She had to agree. Martha still thought they were married. “He’s my best friend.” She added so it wasn’t a total lie. 

“Find the non-human!” The Judoon came barrelling through the doors. “Execute!” 

“I think they need a new catch phrase.” Donna muttered under a breath as she straightened her spine and prepared to face down the alien space rhinos. 

“You’re not wrong there.” Martha agreed and glanced behind them at the corridor the Doctor had run off through. “Hope he’s alright.” 

“He’s always alright. He’s got me to make sure of it.” Donna flashed her new friend a smile. It was what the Doctor would do. 

“Find the non-human! Execute!” They repeated again. 

“Hello!” Donna yelled, trying to get their attention. “Oi! Judoon! Over here!” She added with a wave of her hands. 

The Judoon came marching up, strong and merciless in their path. “We know who you’re looking for!” Martha joined in but in was no good. The Judoon were reaching for their scanners. Donna blinked as the blue light blinded her. 

“Human!” The Judoon who had scanned Martha declared. 

“She’s this woman. She calls herself Florence.” Martha continued desperately. 

“Human!” The second Judoon declared who had finished beeping Donna. What was it with aliens trying to beep her with shiny blue lights. At least the Doctor had done it to try and save her life. These Rhino’s were just pissing her off. “Wait! Non-human trace suspected!”

Crap! What the heck had the Doctor done to her? Was it the Tardis travelling? Residue Huon particles?

“Non-human element confirmed!” The Judoon continued. Martha was staring at her with wide eyes. Well wasn’t that just wizard! Now her friend was starting to think she was an alien too. The third Judoon had raised his weapon at her. It didn’t look like the scanners… more like a gun, and Donna had a feeling that he wouldn’t be afraid to use it. 

“Oi! Watch where you point that thing! You’ll have someone’s eye out!” She shouted hoping that she didn’t sound as terrified as she felt. 

“Authorise full scan!” The main Judoon announced and Donna closed her eyes, praying to God that she wasn’t about to die. The Doctor had told her to stay safe. He’d only just lost his friend Rose. Donna wasn’t sure he would cope with losing someone else so soon. Maybe he’d take Martha with him. He needed someone to make sure he was alright, someone to stop him. 

The Judoon pushed her back into wall and Donna felt like she was going to be sick. 

“Leave her alone! She’s not who you’re looking for!” Martha insisted but it was no use. 

“What are you? What are you?” The Judoon asked as he pushed the scanner against her throat. God did his breath stink! Donna wrinkled her nose in disgust and prayed that the Doctor was having a better time than she was.

* * *

Compensation her arse! Donna was livid! She basically been assaulted by a space rhino and all she’d gotten was a plastic thingy to make up for it. Oh she would be suing the intergalactic space force for this! The cheek of it! Martha looked over her shoulder at the strange plastic wallet. 

“They could have at least given you Earth currency.” She muttered. “Come on we’ve got to find your husband before the Judoon turn him into dust!”

“You what?!” Donna shrieked.

“I saw it! The Judoon, they turned this man into dust. It was like he was burning from the inside out.” Martha yelled as they charged down the corridors after the Judoon. 

“Oh you have got to be kidding me!” Donna yelled back. Her lungs were beginning to burn. The oxygen was running out and there was only so long the adrenaline could keep them alive. She just hoped they found the Doctor in time to get back home. 

But they were too late. 

He was dead. The Judoon scanned it and confirm him as deceased. Donna wanted to cry. It wasn’t fair! They’d only just gotten started. They still had so much to see together, to do together. He was too good to die. The Earth needed him. She needed him. She sank to her knees, not able to muster the strength to fight the Judoon to see him. She was going to die on the moon. All of time and space and it was the moon that killed her. 

“Wizard…” She mumbled under her breath as tears rolled down her cheeks. The Doctor’s face was grey, not quite as bad as Mr Stoker’s, they must have interrupted Miss Finnegan’s feast. 

Martha was shouting something at the Judoon and she could see the room light up with familiar blue light but Donna’s head was ringing and black spots were starting to dance in her vision. 

Donna was running out of air and the Doctor was dead.

* * *

“All units withdraw!” The Judoon’s voice echoed around the whole hospital and the siren of the MRI was blaring in the background. 

The Doctor was lying pale and lifeless on the floor and for the first time since they’d arrived on the moon, Martha actually believed that she might not survive this. Running around with Doctor and Donna Noble had been incredible. It was dangerous, yes but she’d trusted them both to get the hospital back to Earth but now she was on her own and she didn’t know what to do. Donna was passed out, the grief had been too much for her and she’d succumbed to the lack of oxygen. It was probably a blessing. If she was unconscious her body would need less oxygen to function. She would be ok. 

Martha ignored the way the room was starting to spin and rushed after the platoon of Judoon. “You can’t go!” She cried helplessly. “That things gonna explode, and it’s your fault!” They ignored her and march on. She yelled in frustration and ran back to the Doctor and his wife. He was probably her only hope at stopping this thing and he was dead. 

"Oh come on Martha! You’re a doctor!” She said angrily to herself, she looked between Doctor Noble and Donna. “Sorry Donna, but I need him” She mumbled to the unconscious redhead. 

Martha desperately tried to do CPR on the Doctor but she was running out of breath. She wasn’t even sure it would work on him. He was an alien after all. Did aliens have CPR?

Wait!

Alien!

“Two hearts!” Martha exclaimed. Donna had mentioned it when they were running from the Judoon. That’s why she had checked in instead of the Doctor when they noticed something weird about the hospital. She tried the CPR again but she time she alternated between his right and left heart. “Come on, come on, come on! Donna will kill us both if you don’t make it!” 

The Doctor gasped back to life and Martha rolled over. The adrenaline subsided and her vision was beginning to black out. “Scanner!” She gasped, hoping it would be enough, before she fell unconscious. 

* * *

“Donna." The Doctor cooed in her ear. She groaned and swatted at the air. “You’re making a habit of this, Kitten.” He was laughing at her, stupid space dunce.

Wait a second. He was laughing at her. That meant he was alive! Donna opened her eyes with a gasp. “Spaceman!” She was back in a hospital bed, still in her hospital pyjamas. There was a paramedic next to her, with what looked like an oxygen tank. The Doctor was on her other side holding her hand in his. He reached up with his other hand and brushed her fringe out of her eyes. 

“You’ve given Mr Noble quite a fright ma’am.” The paramedic teased gently with a kind smile. 

“Ma’am? How old do you think I am?!” Donna snapped before turning to the Doctor. “You were dead!”

“Yeah… just a temporary set back. Martha saved me.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “She’s outside in an ambulance. Her sister was waiting for her.” 

“What happened?” Donna asked. Had she missed everything again? Why did she keep missing everything?

“Oh I’ll catch you up when we’re back home.” He glanced over at the paramedic. “It got a bit… complicated at the end there but we’re all safely back on Earth.” 

“I bloody love you!” Donna threw her arms round him and pulled him into a hug. She was emotionally exhausted. Seeing the Doctor’s body on the floor like that had taken more out of her than she realised. It felt good to hold him in her arms, remind herself that he really was here and he really was ok. 

“I should hope so.” He laughed. “You did marry me.” 

“Oh you prawn.” She rolled her eyes and batted him in the arm. “Home?” She asked, looking hopefully at the paramedic, Dan according to his name tag. 

“You’re free to go Mrs Noble. Just take it easy for a couple of days.” He nodded as he scribbled something on his clipboard and moved onto the next bed. 

The Doctor shrugged out of his coat and offered it to her. Donna looked down at her pyjamas and thanked him as she took the heavy garment. It was far too big for her but the weight was comforting. The Doctor held out his hand and Donna linked their fingers with practiced ease. They walked hand in hand back towards where they had parked the Tardis the night before. Golly that seemed liked a long time ago. Donna briefly wondered if she should drop in on her family whilst they were back on the planet but she decided turning up in her nightclothes and the Doctor’s coat would probably give off the wrong signal. She wasn’t ready to deal with her mother’s thoughts on that one. She’d probably think it was scandalous running off with the man she’d met at own wedding. 

To be honest. If Donna didn’t know they truth, she’d probably agree. 

They spotted Martha talking to what Donna assumed was her sister. They gave her a wave both pushing open the doors to their beloved time machine. The Tardis filled Donna’s mind the moment she walked across the threshold. She could feel the ships concern, feel her checking to see if either of them were hurt. Donna realised the ship must have felt it when the Doctor had died. The telepathic connection between the Time Lord and his ship must have been severed. 

“It’s alright, Sweetheart.” Donna murmured as she stroked the nearest coral pillar. “We’re alright." The Doctor was smiling at her as if she was the most important woman in the universe. Donna swallowed and felt her cheeks heat up under the intensity of his gaze. “What?” She asked him sharply. 

“Nothing.” He laughed. “Nothing at all. Right! Time vortex!” He pulled a lever down and the engines began to sing as the Tardis vanished from the Earth.

Donna sat down on one of the stools around the console and watched the Doctor pilot his ship. He muttered under his breath to the Tardis as he got them settled safely in the time vortex. Donna loved watching him drive the Tardis. The way his fingers danced over the various buttons, levers and dials on the console. When they were drifting like this it was always calm. He’d almost stroke each part of the Tardis with such care and devotion. He always looked so peaceful and happy when they were sat like this. It was beautiful to watch and Donna felt honoured that she was allowed to witness them both in moments like this. He looked up at the shining blue pillar at the centre of the console. It was pulsing slowly and the Doctor looked almost mesmerised, even after all this time. Donna smiled fondly at him as he looked across at her. She blushed and pulled his coat tighter around her body like a shield. 

“What?” He asked her. 

“Nothing.” She replied with a smirk, using his own words against him. “Just watching my husband work.” She stuck her tongue out at him. 

“Very funny Donna.” He rolled his eyes at her. 

“Hey, don’t blame me. You chose the story, Time Boy!” Donna shot back. “I suggested brother!”

“Husband was more believable.” He retorted.

“Oh yeah?” She raised her eyebrow at him. “Is that why you kissed me?” She challenged. The Doctor’s eyes went comically wide and he began to splutter. 

“What? No! no no.” He shook his head in protest and both his hands ended up tangled in his hair. “That was a genetic transfer!” 

“Relax, spaceman.” Donna laughed at her friend, ignoring the surge of disappointment. “I’m just teasing you.” 

“It saved thousands of lives!" The Doctor insisted. 

“You’re a good kisser but you’re not that good.” Donna managed to shoot back in between laughs. 

“Donna!" The Doctor protested. 

“Yes Pookie?” She smirked. 

“I hate you.” He grumbled and glared at her, his cheeks were bright red and his hair was a completely mess. 

“Is that why you kissed me?” Donna ducked as he threw a banana at her. 

* * *

The Doctor threw his hands up in frustration and the board went flying as the dice had just rolled a double one and the Doctor landed on the long snake again.

“Oi!” Donna cried. “I was winning!” Donna glared at her friend who just offered her a toothy smile. 

“Oh well. Guess we’ll never know for sure.” He shrugged and scrambled off the chair he had been squatting on like a gremlin. Donna rolled her eyes and got up off her own luxury arm chair. They ambled through the Tardis towards the kitchen. There was the delightful smell of lasagne and garlic bread permeating the air.

“Time Lords.” She said in the same tone he often used when he was being petty about humans. She peered into the oven. The lasagne was bubbling away nicely and the garlic bread was beginning to brown nicely. It would be ready soon anyway. 

“Oh that’s not fair.” He whined and nudged her out of the way. “Oooh I got a new sonic!” He stuck his tongue out as he rummaged through his pockets. “See!” He brandished the new device proudly.

It looked pretty much the same to Donna but she’d seen how upset he’d been when his previous one had been destroyed. She put her hand out and he passed her the screwdriver. She pretended to inspect it, like she knew what she was doing and then aimed it at a glass he’d left in the sink and pressed the button. The sonic whirred to life in her hands and the glass exploded. 

“Donna!” He yelled as they both ducked avoid the glass. 

“Yup. It works.” She grinned at him and passed the gadget back to him. He glared at her and pocketed it. 

“You’re cleaning that up!” He mumbled accusingly. 

“Well if you’d done your washing up like you were supposed to then it wouldn’t have happened.” She shot back. She’d been asking him to do the washing up for the last week. 

“I’ll take you home.” He warned but his eyes told her he was teasing. 

“No you won’t. I’m brilliant remember?” She laughed and his face turned all soft and fond. It made her heart do stupid things and there were all sorts of butterflies in her stomach. 

“Yeah you are.” He agreed soppily. 

The oven beeped and the Doctor pulled out their dinner. It was weirdly domestic seeing him using oven gloves to get food out of an oven. He’d done it a few times but normally Donna was left to do the domestic things around the Tardis. She got the feeling this sort of thing was all new for him. “Smells good.” She commented as she pulled some plates out of the cupboard. 

“I got this recipe from Antonio Latini" The Doctor grinned. “His tomato sauce is just out of this world.” 

The ate in silence for a few minutes. The Doctor wasn’t wrong, the tomato sauce was divine. Donna had to stop herself from moaning on her first mouthful. Who knew Time Lords made such good cooks. The garlic bread was pretty amazing too and one of Donna’s favourite food, much better than banana bread. 

“So…” Donna started to say around a mouth of garlic bread. “Martha saved your life today?”

The Doctor looked up at her, his fork halfway to his mouth. Donna had to suppress a giggle. The Time Lord had tomato sauce all round his face. “Yeah.” He agreed. “I suppose she did.” 

“She was pretty good in a crisis.” Donna continued, wondering when he would catch on. 

“I suppose she was." The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her. 

“We could use someone like her around more often.” Donna raised her own eyebrows in response. To her relief the daft alien finally cottoned on. 

“Oh…” He replied. “But I have you?” He asked.

“Well yeah, and it’s great. It really is. You know I love travelling with you.” Donna sighed and put down her fork. “I just she might like a trip in the Tardis. That’s all. I can’t imagine being left behind to just go on with life after the adventure we had to day. She’ll be changed by it, I promise you.” 

“Yeah. I suppose you’re right. My brilliant Bella Donna.” He reached out across the table and squeezed her hand. 

Neither of them had quite noticed that the Tardis had dimmed the lights slightly in the kitchen, making the room feel more like an expensive restaurant, and if Bella Notte played quietly in the background, then who was to blame. 

* * *

The Doctor was leaning on the corner of the street with Donna’s hand in his. He’d been doing that more and more since she’d move into the Tardis. At first it had just been when they were running for their lives but now it was really any time she was standing close enough for him to reach out to her. Donna had never had a friend that she’d felt so comfortable with so quickly. Certainly not a male friend. Perhaps it was because he was an alien. 

They watched as Martha’s family yelled and screamed at each other. Martha was desperately trying to keep the peace but it was too late. 

“Our little doctor to be." The Doctor whispered in her ear. “Always trying to mend what’s broken.”

Donna looked up at her friend. He had a sad sort of look on his face, the look he had when he was remembering something from before she’d met him. “A bit like you then.” She replied as she squeezed his hand. 

“Suppose.” He admitted. “Oh she’s seen us. Time to go.” 

Donna looked back to Martha. The Doctor was right. She was staring at the pair of them. Donna was just glad she was finally out of those pyjamas and back in her own clothes, a nice pair of jeans and a blouse with her brown leather coat to top it off. The Doctor had taken his own long coat back and swapped into his brown pinstriped suit. When Donna had questioned it he’d muttered something about maintaining the timelines. 

The Doctor pulled her back around the corner towards the Tardis. The deal was if Martha really wanted to join them on an adventure then she would follow them. If not then they’d head back off to the vortex and turn in for the night. It was Donna’s turn to choose the location and she was thinking something historical. Apart from her brief stint to the beginning of the Earth and Pompeii she hadn’t yet seen much of Earth’s history and she thought there wasn’t a better way to learn than to experience it. 

The Doctor sighed as he leant back on the wooden box and Donna counted down from five under her breath. She had no doubt that Martha would follow them. Donna knew exactly what it was like to be dazzled by the Doctor and she was certain Martha was already under his brilliant alien spell. 

“Is she coming?” Donna hissed as she strained to hear the sound of footstep. 

The Doctor smirked “Patience, Donna.” He teased. 

“Show off.” She muttered back and bumped her shoulder against his. He chuckled quietly and gave her hand a squeeze.

Sure enough Martha came running around the corner with sparkling eyes and a big smile on her face. Donna could barely contain her own smile. She remembered the excitement she felt when she’d stepped back onboard the Tardis after having decided to go with the Doctor. There was nothing quite like it. The beginning of a whole new adventure, fear of the unknown but complete faith in the wonderful man that was stood proudly by her side. 

“I went to the moon today.” Martha called out from a distant. Donna felt the Doctor preen by her side. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He was such a show off. He’d staged this whole thing just to impress Martha when he could have just asked like a normal bloke. 

“Bit more peaceful than down here.” He remarked sarcastically. 

“Almost as bad as a Noble Christmas party. Less killer robot Santas” Donna added as she remembered her reception. 

“and killer Christmas trees." The Doctor agreed. 

Martha laughed at their antics and stepped closed. “You never even told me who you are?” 

"The Doctor.” He pointed to himself. “And Donna Noble. Not married by the way.”

“So not married.” Donna agreed. “Not even together.”

“Just friends." The Doctor added.

“Friends!” Donna nodded enthusiastically. 

“Ok.” Martha raised her eyebrows at them. “Ok… but what sort of species? It’s not every day I get to ask that.” Martha looked a little perplexed by her own question. Donna remembered that feeling well. 

“I’m a Time Lord." The Doctor said sombrely. 

“Right…” Martha laughed. “Not pompous at all then?”

“Oh she’s good.” Donna teased her friend which earned her a mock glare from the Time Lord. 

“I just thought." The Doctor replied to Martha and Donna cleared her throat. Bloody cheek if he thought he was taking all the credit. “_We _just thought.” He amended. “That since you saved my life…”

“Thanks for that by the way.” Donna interrupted with a grin. 

“And I’ve got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing,” He got the screwdriver out of his jacket and flipped it in his hands to prove his point. This time Donna really did roll her eyes and she snatched the device out of his hands. “You might fancy a trip?” He turned to Donna with an angry look in his eyes. “Would you stop ruining my moment?” 

“In your dreams Time Boy.” She sang back happily and tucked the sonic back into his jacket pocket. “So… What do you think Miss Jones?”

“A trip into space?” She asked looking a little in disbelief that she was being given the chance. 

“Well…" The Doctor started to say but Martha cut him off and shook her head. 

“I can’t, I’ve got exams. I’ve got things to do! I’ve got to go into town first thing and pay the rent. I’ve got my family going mad!” Martha’s went wide when realised quite badly her night had gone. 

“If it helps…" The Doctor paused dramatically. “I can travel in time as well.” 

“Get out of here.” Martha tilted head and closed her eyes. Apparently the hospital on the moon was one thing but time travel was a step too far for the young med student. 

“He can.” Donna tried to reassure her but Martha was having none of it. 

“Come on now. That is going too far.” She stated, her belief not wavering an inch. Donna had to commend her for that. She knew what she believed and she stuck to it. 

“I’ll prove it." The Doctor said as he turn to go back into the Tardis. “Stay here.” He murmured to Donna, quiet enough so Martha wouldn’t be able to hear. “Back in a jiffy.” He reassured her with a squeeze of his hand before he dropped hers and went back inside. Donna wrapped her arms around her waist and went to stand next to Martha. 

“You’ll like this bit.” She whispered into the air as the Tardis started to dematerialise, fading into the time vortex.

It felt weird for Donna to be on the outside but she trusted the Doctor. She had to, and sure enough within seconds the Tardis had reappeared on the street. The wind whipped around Donna’s face and her hair flew into her eyes. God that man did have a flair for the dramatic. Martha gasped next to her and ran forward to the door of the box. She almost ran straight into the Doctor who reappeared in the door way holding his tie in his hands. 

“Told you!” He said smugly as he pulled the tie back around his neck and started to tuck it back into his jacket. The shirt collar was all crooked. Donna felt the urge to move and help it sort it out but she decided to let him have this moment. This was about Martha.

“No but…” Martha stuttered. "That was this morning! But, did you? Oh my god you can travel in time!” She gasped as the reality hit her but Martha was smart. She was instantly curious about why the Doctor hadn’t stopped her going to work that morning and he had to explain about timelines. Even Donna was starting to understand the basics. She realised that she would have been able to explain that even if the Doctor wasn’t there. She smiled to herself. She was getting good at this time travel lark. 

“Time and Relative Dimension in Space” Donna said with a grin after the Doctor introduced the Tardis. The Doctor gave her a proud look. They come a long way from when Donna had refused to believe the Tardis was even a real word. She chuckled at the memory. God she’d been a right cow to him when she’d turned up in his ship, and right when he was grieving Rose. It was a miracle he’d ever offered to let her travel with him. 

“Your spaceship’s made of wood” Martha stated as she touched the dark blue grain of the wooden box. Donna heard the Tardis’s protests in her mind. Apparently the old girl was a little bit sensitive about being compared to something so breakable as wood. “But there’s not much room. We’d be a bit intimate.” 

Donna giggled at that mental image. The three of them squished into a space the size of an actual police box. Where would you even put the engines never mind the passengers. She shared an amused look with the Doctor and he kicked the door and gently with his converses. He nodded with his head to encourage Martha to go inside. 

“Take a look.” He said. His eyes sparkling as he watched to see her reaction. 

“Show off.” Donna hissed under her breath, hoping that his superior Time Lord hearing would pick up what she said. It did and he winked at her. 

“No no no” Martha cried from inside the Tardis, and the Doctor and Donna followed her inside. Donna had had the opposite reaction to the Tardis. She’d had the unique experience of seeing the inside first so she hadn’t quite believed the outside had been so small. Martha was making circuits around the box, just like Donna had. The Doctor was practically buzzing with energy. He was living for this reaction. Smug alien arsehole. Martha was still trying to get her head around the size of it. 

“Stop it.” Donna mouthed at the Doctor when she saw the smug look on his face as he scratched his neck. 

“What?” He mouthed back still grinning like a lunatic. 

“But it’s bigger on the inside!” She said at the same time as the Doctor mouthed the words. Donna huffed and gave him a disapproving look. 

“Is it?” He replied sarcastically. “I hadn’t noticed. Ow!”

He rubbed his arm from where Donna had slapped him. He was being a prick. Martha was excited and he was acting like an idiot. She raised her eyebrows at him and he responded with a tilt of his head and a smirk. He pulled off his coat and flung it over the coral pillar. Donna had to duck out of the way, ok maybe she’d deserved that one. 

“Right then! Let’s get going!” He replied, at last something they could agree on. It was time to head back to the time vortex and on to the next adventure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada! A very warm welcome to Miss Martha Jones! I hope you enjoyed it! Obviously the main bulk of this story is based heavily on the show and you will recognise some of the dialogue, but I hope I've put my own spin on it and made it just as entertaining. So let me know what you think! 
> 
> This was original split into two chapters but in the end I didn't really like the way the flow was interrupt but sorry if it's a tad long! 
> 
> Next time... Shakespeare!


	6. The Shakespeare Code

Donna shrieked as her legs almost fell from underneath her. She was gripping onto the console as if her life depended on it. She almost hit her chin on the console as her legs slipped but the Doctor was there, hoisting her back upright before any damage could be down. 

“Donna. Press that button.” He pointed to a series of buttons by her left elbow. Her fingers hovered over the yellow one but before she could push it, the Doctor stopped her. “No! Not that one! The blue one!” 

Donna slammed her hand down on the blue one and laughed as she felt the adrenaline spike. Donna Noble, temp from Chiswick, driving a time machine! “Get in there!” 

“Brilliant Donna!” He winked at her and leapt back over to the winch near where Martha was standing. 

“But how do you travel in time?” Martha shouted over the sound of the engines. It was a valid question. One Donna hadn’t even thought of. She knew there were Huon particles in the heart of the Tardis. She’d had a crash course on that one, and she knew the Doctor used some kind of telepathic bond with his ship to help pilot her through space and time. Apparently it was some kind of symbiotic connection? Whatever that meant, but apart from that she had no idea how the Tardis worked. “What makes it go?”

The Doctor scowled at their new friend as he began to wind the winch on the Tardis console. “Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything.” He said sarcastically. “Martha, you don't want to know. It just does.” He propped his foot up against the other side of the console and pushed a lever down with his toes. “Hold on tight!”

The Tardis jolted to a halt and Donna gripped tightly onto the console. She’d gotten pretty good at staying on her feet during landing. If only the Doctor could get better at landing. Martha, unfortunately, was not so lucky. The Doctor’s warning had not come soon enough for the young trainee doctor and she was flung backwards off the console. She landed heavily on her bottom with a yelp. 

Donna chided the Tardis mentally. The time machine hadn’t been particularly welcoming to the new girl in their lives.

_Watch it Time Girl! _She thought as she glanced up at the ceiling. 

The Tardis protested her innocence with a giggle but Donna wasn’t having it.  
  
“Blimey. Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?” Martha cried as she picked herself up off of the grating. She dusted down her jeans. The tumble hadn’t seem to have affected her good mood thankfully and her eyes were still twinkling with excitement.

“Yes, and he failed it.” Donna giggled. The Doctor looked wounded at her betrayal. He was still in ‘let’s show off and impress the new girl mode’.

“Oi!” He sniffed the air. “I don’t tell her all your dirty secrets!”

“Like you know them, Time Boy.” Donna quipped and then turned to Martha. “You alright?”

“Never better.” She laughed. “This is insane!”

“Now, make the most of it." The Doctor shouted over them as he ran to get his coat, taking control of the room like he always did. He sped past Donna and Martha towards the door of the Tardis, throwing Martha her jacket as he passed. “You only get one first trip. Outside this door… brave new world.” He was suppressing a grin and Donna could see the Time Lord was visible shaking with energy and excitement.

“Where are we?” Martha asked breathlessly. 

“Take a look.” He pulled the door open without turning round “After you.”

Martha looked at Donna with a gleam in her eyes and then back towards the Doctor. She took a deep breath and stepped forward out into the world. 

Donna followed with a spring in her step. She loved this bit. It never got old. The tightness in her stomach, the thrill of something new, the creep of fear tingling down her spine and the Doctor’s hand in hers as she left the Tardis. 

* * *

Martha stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the scene in front of her. The ground under her feet was soft and squelchy, and all the people were dressed like peasants in a school production of Robin Hood. They had dirty faces and tattered clothes. There was no way that the Doctor and Donna could have faked this. It was too much. Even the air stank of sewage and body odour. 

“Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me. Oh, my God, we did it!” She said gleefully “We travelled in time. Where are we?” She paused and waved her hands at the time travelling couple. “No, sorry. I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?”

Before she could even finish her sentence the Doctor was pulling her back towards the Tardis doors. His hands wrapped protectively around her shoulders. Donna was right, the man had no sense of personal space!

“Mind out!” He cried and not a moment too soon.

She heard a clatter above her head and looked up. A man was emptying a bucket of nasty brown looking water out of the window. It spilled down right into the space where Martha had just been standing. She wrinkled her nose as the smell of sewage hit her. 

“Oi! Watch it matey!” Donna yelled up at the man with a fierce look in her eyes. 

”Somewhere before the invention of the toilet. Sorry about that." The Doctor scratched his neck and smiled sheepishly as he let her go. 

Martha looked at the ground where the toilet water was beginning to seep into the soil, leaving dark brown patches of faeces on the straw. “I’ve seen worse. I've worked the late night shift A and E.” She admitted with a laugh. She was not about to be put off time travel by some human waste. She just didn’t want to tread in it if she could help it. Bringing back medieval biology matter to the 21st century was probably not a good idea. “But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?” She kept her back pressed against the Tardis just incase the answer was no. Although judging by the way Donna was still arguing with Bucket Man, she was probably alright.

“Of course we can. Why do you ask?" The Doctor looked confused. 

“It's like in the films.” Martha insisted as she remembered The Butterfly Effect. She’d been to see that on a date in her first year in Med School. “You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race.”

“Tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies." The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “What have butterflies ever done to you?” He asked with an offended frown.

“She’s got a point, spaceman!” Donna agreed as she swatted his arm. Donna was giving the Doctor a disappointed look. They appeared to communicate silently for a few seconds, like she’d seen them do at the hospital and then the Doctor sighed and nodded his head. “I’ve seen it too. Ashton Kutcher, what a man!” Donna gave her a smile. 

Martha was grateful that she was here with her. She wasn’t sure she’d been able to cope with the Doctor’s funny moods without her friend to help. Donna was good at keeping him in line. “Oh yeah. He’s yummy!” Martha agreed and took Donna’s arm. 

“That’s all just humans messing with things they don’t understand." The Doctor insisted. “Timelines are more complicated than that. You step on a butterfly and there’s just a dead butterfly. The universe would adapt around it. You’re fine. And he’s not that great.” He pouted and sniffed the air, still scowling at the pair of them. If Martha had to guess she would say he was jealous. Now, that was interesting!

“Speak for yourself” Donna giggled. 

“What if, I don't know, what if I kill my grandfather?” Martha asked. That would be a big enough change in the timelines to change the future right?

The Doctor looked aghast at her suggestion. “Are you planning to?”

“No.”

"Well, then.” He nodded at walked away from the Tardis. 

Martha followed with Donna, carefully avoiding any suspicious looking puddles. “And this is London?” Donna asked.

“I think so.” He said, looking around them at the dimly lit streets. He wrinkled his nose as he sniffed deeply. “Round about 1599”

Martha felt a wave of panic hit her as she realised she could be in very real danger. She dug her heels in and ground to a halt, grasping tightly on Donna’s arm. “Oh, but hold on. Am I all right? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?”

“Why would they do that?” Donna asked gently.

“Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed.” She gestured at her face. It was all right for those two. Donna’s hair might be a bit unusual but it’s not like they had a ginger slave trade, and the Doctor just looked like an ordinary white bloke, albeit in a strange looking suit for the 1500s.

“I'm not even human!” He insisted. “Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me.” Martha raised her eyebrows at him, typical white man not understanding the trials that a black woman faced in the world. They were all the same. “Besides, you'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time. Look over there. They've got recycling.”

The Doctor pointed behind them to a man shovelling some manure covered straw into a bucket.

“Urgh it stinks.” Donna hissed. 

“Second that.” Martha agreed with a giggle. She felt like they were the naughty kids at the back of the classroom whispering and passing notes whilst the Doctor gave a lecture. Donna squeezed her arm and joined in with her own quiet laugh. They continued down the busy street, passing two blokes having a chat at a barrel of water.

"Water cooler moment." The Doctor nodded.

Martha laughed. The Doctor did have a point. It seemed like humans never changed. It was sort of comforting to see that human nature was constant regardless of technology or science. The researchers at the psychology ward would have a field day if they could see all of this. 

“And the world will be consumed by flame!” A white man jumped in front of her and Donna, waving a book in their faces. Martha gasped and jumped back. 

“I’ll consume you in a minute buster.” Donna hissed under her breath as they dodged the man and continued to follow the Doctor.

“Oh look Donna, global warming!” He grinned at her friend. 

“Oh whoopee!” Donna retorted sarcastically. Martha looked between the pair, a bit confused.

“Oh, yes, and entertainment. Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to…" The Doctor paused and grabbed her hand, pulling both her and Donna along the rest of the street and around the corner. “Ah, yes, the Globe Theatre!” 

The street opened up giving them a brilliant view of the theatre. Martha stared in awe. She’d seen it in modern times. She’d even been to see Midsummer Night’s Dream with Tish for a birthday a couple of years ago but it was nothing like this. The Globe was almost glowing against the dark night sky, burning lights flickered in the windows and it was surrounded by thatched houses and lanterns. It gave the entire theatre a whole new look. 

“Brand new. Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetra-decagon. Fourteen sides. Containing…" The Doctor paused and faced them both with a childish grin. "The man himself." The Doctor exclaimed giddily.

“Whoa, you don't mean. Is Shakespeare in there?” Martha was stunned. It was all so surreal! She’d studied Shakespeare at school. They’d taken a trip to Stratford and Anne Hathaway’s house and now the Doctor was saying the Bard was actually in the theatre. 

“No… Way!” Donna squealed. “I love Shakespeare!” 

“Oh yes!" The Doctor flashed them both a smiled and then held out him arms. Miss Noble, Miss Jones, will you accompany me to the theatre?”

“Why Mr Noble. I will” Martha teased her friends. They both blushed and very decidedly looked away from each other.

“Still not married.” Donna muttered but still latched on to his arm whilst Martha took the other.

“When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare!” He said as the three of them strolled towards the grand building. 

“Then I could get sectioned!” Martha replied sarcastically. 

“Or worse, expelled.” Donna added with a laugh. 

* * *

The Doctor was sulking. He’d been rambling on about how great Shakespeare was with words and how the man was an utter genius before the bard had come out onstage and completely shattered that illusion. If Donna didn’t know better she’d say The Time Lord was heartbroken. He seemed completely disillusioned by the entire thing. 

“You see this is why I didn’t want to meet Brad Pitt.” Donna patted the pouting Time Lord’s arm as they shuffled out of the theatre. 

“This is completely different." The Doctor insisted. 

“How so?” Martha asked with genuine curiosity. 

“Well I don’t fancy the pants off Mr Shakespeare, unlike Donna here with Brad Pitt. God knows why. He’s not even that handsome." The Doctor grumbled. 

Donna faked a gasp and did her best ‘I’m so offended’ look. “You take that back!”

“What?!" The Doctor’s voice almost squeaked. “He’s not!”

“What and you are?” Donna shot back. “Look at you! Just a skinny streak of nothing! Brad’s got muscle and that jawline.” She pretended to swoon into the Doctor’s arms. He caught her like she weighed no more than a super model and gave her a wounded look. 

“I’m handsome, ruggedly so.” He insisted. 

“Ooh I prefer Orlando Bloom.” Martha joined the game of let’s tease the Doctor, much to his obvious dismay. 

“Or Johnny Depp!” Donna squealed in delight.

“I could be a pirate if I wanted to. I learnt how to sword fight from Long John Silver himself." The Doctor whined as he tripped down the rackety wooden steps. He yelped as he almost went arse over tits but managed to steady himself against the wall. Donna and Martha doubled over in hysterics as they followed him down the stairs. Once they reached the outside of the theatre, they had just about managed to catch their breaths. The Doctor stood watching them with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, which only made them giggle even more. 

“Oh don’t be a tart. We’re just teasing you. You’re very pretty.” Donna pinched his cheeks and booped him on the nose. He scrunched his nose but seemed happy enough with the compliment. 

“Oh yes!” He winked and darted off into the streets of Elizabethan London. 

Donna rolled her eyes. He was like a child at times. She followed him at a slower pace with Martha by her side. The younger girl still seemed a little wary about the time travel. She was going to great lengths to avoid knocking into anyone on the crowded streets. She decided she should try and distract her friend. She should be enjoying this not worrying about some twat trying to cart her off to some mansion or whatever. 

“So… Miss Jones.” Donna sang mischievously. “Is there anyone special in your life?”

“What?!” Martha coughed as Donna’s question caught her off guard.

“You heard me!” Donna grinned at her friend. “What’s the gossip about Martha Jones? You’re a med student right?” 

“Umm yeah. I’ve got another year to go. God I should really be studying. I’ve got exams coming up soon.” Martha exclaimed as she buried her face in her hands. 

“Yeah and who else can say they have a time machine to make sure they have enough time to cram.” Donna pointed out. “So come on, what else is there to know?”

“Umm… Got my mum Francine, my sister Tish, and my brother Leo. My dad is around, but… well. You saw the end of that didn’t you?” Martha said.

“Yeah. Family. You gotta love em.” Donna agreed. “Nothing is ever good enough for my mum.” 

“Really?” Martha asked. She seemed a little stunned by that. “But what you and the Doctor do…. it’s incredible.” 

“She doesn’t exactly know the whole truth.” Donna admitted with a sad smile. 

“Right. And no, there’s no one special. I haven’t got the time. I tried dating but it never worked out.” Martha gave Donna a half smile. 

The rounded the corner back to near where the Tardis was. Donna could feel the tickle of the time machines consciousness in the back of her mind. The Doctor was wandering up ahead of them with his hands in his pockets, taking in the scenery and introducing himself to the townsfolk pleasantly. 

“So what’s the deal with you and him?” Martha nodded towards their alien friend. 

“Just mates.” Donna replied automatically with a frown. Everyone did seem to think there was something more, and the Doctor hadn’t helped with his fake married stunt back at the hospital. 

Martha laughed. “Well you had me fooled. The way he was doting on you at the hospital was very convincing.”

Donna blushed and gave a nervous laugh. “Oh God, he wouldn’t leave me alone!” She deflected with humour. “It was downright embarrassing.”

“And that kiss was really something.” Martha teased. 

She wasn’t wrong. Donna had been more than a little dazed after that, and she’d kissed a fair few people in her time. “Genetic transfer.” Donna replied, remembering what the Doctor had said. “He needed to buy time with the Judoon. It was nothing.”

Martha nodded slowly and Donna could tell she couldn’t quite believe what she was saying. “Right.” She said slowly. “What about the wedding ring?”

Donna gaped at her friend and clasped her hands together. The bio-damp ring was still glistening on her ring finger. She’d never quite been able to take it off and the Doctor had never asked for it back. Donna spluttered as she searched for a way to defend the piece of jewellery but luckily she was saved, once again, by the Doctor.

He came bounding up to them, effectively ending their conversation, with an impatient look of his face. He was bouncing from one foot to another with limitless energy. “Are you two coming or what?” He asked. “You can save the chinwag for later! Old Bill is waiting! Come on!” 

The Doctor grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards a noisy sounding tavern. Donna squeaked in surprise at the sudden change of pace and she heard Martha chuckling behind her. 

* * *

Witches. 

Actual real life witches. 

Well, they’d yet to see a witch but the Doctor had definitely said it was witchcraft. The drowning had been a tad gruesome but Donna was quickly learning that death was something that haunted the Doctor like a ghost. She realised that she was almost becoming desensitised to it. She still grieved for those who had lost their lives and she still had to fight the nightmares once the darkness crept in after the day was done, but she was able to cope more in the moment. It didn’t completely immobilise her like it had when she’d watch Lance fall in to the pit. 

But still. Witches! That was bloody fantastic! Donna could not believe it, she thought as she followed the Doctor and the barmaid upstairs to the rooms. 

“Right here you are Doctor and Mrs Noble.” The barmaid said as she pushed a door open. “I’m sorry it’s our only room left. Miss Jones will have to sleep on the floor.” 

Donna Noble saw red. She could see the shocked hurt look on Martha’s face. Not only was yet another person assuming that she was married to the Doctor, they had the cheek to assume Martha would be the one on the floor!

“Oh we’re not…" The Doctor shook his head as he started their customary protests but Donna cut him off. 

“Why do you think Martha’s on the floor?!” Donna snapped at the barmaid. 

“I’m sorry Mrs Noble, it’s just… is that not they way in Freedonia?” The barmaid looked rightfully terrified of Donna’s sudden attack. She took a step back, her eyes wide and her face pale. 

“Donna it’s alright.” Martha touched her arm. “Someone has to sleep on the floor.”

“Right. Donna, love. It’s ok. I’m sure Martha can defend herself." The Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Not now.” He hissed in her ear. “This is lovely! Thank you!” He flashed the maid a big grin and pulled Donna into the room. Martha scurried in after her and he shut the door, jamming the lock with the sonic screwdriver. 

“The cheek of it!” Donna flailed her arms in the air. “Just because she looks different to us. That means she’s the one that sleeps on the floor!” 

“Donna." The Doctor tried to calm her down but she wasn’t having it.

Donna was very defensive of her friends and she had been in more than one bar fight in the past in order to stop creepy blokes taking advantage of them. “It isn’t right!”

“No it’s not, but we need to keep a low profile." The Doctor held her arms to her chest to stop her from lashing out and hitting one of them accidentally. Blimey, he was definitely stronger than he looked. 

“And you never know, if she thought you were married. It would make sense for me to take the floor.” Martha added helpfully. 

“That’s bull-”

“A brilliant idea Martha!" The Doctor cut her off and clamped his hand over her mouth. “If there was room they would have given Martha her own room I’m sure.” 

Donna forced her body to relax as she glared at the Doctor. The three of them stood in silence for a moment. None of them believed their excuse but it made it bearable. When the Doctor didn’t immediately free her mouth, Donna decided to give him a taste of his own medicine and she licked him. It was tasted salty but otherwise pretty human. 

He squeaked and pulled his hand back. “Donna!” He grimaced as he looked down at his hand. 

Donna only had a seconds warning, when his eyes began to sparkle mischievously, before he launched himself at her. She tried to run away but it was too late. The Doctor wiped his hand down Donna’s cheek. It was damp and warm. Martha, had grabbed a pillow from the bed without either of them noticing and the Doctor yelped as the pillow landed on the back of his head. 

“Oh it is on!” He cried and scrambled to pick up the second pillow leaving Donna defenceless. 

She stared at them wide-eyed as she assessed the scene. The Doctor swung a pillow at Martha and feathers exploded from the worn out material. Martha screeched at she disappeared in a cloud of grey feathers. Donna saw Martha’s pillow drop out of her hand and she lunged for it. It would be her only chance to defend herself. She rolled as she landed on the floor and swiped up the pillow. The Doctor smirked at her as he prepared to swing again. 

“Hey!” Martha cried as she noticed Donna had stolen her weapon and she jumped up onto the bed, using the blankets as a shield. “Watch out for the candle!” Martha shouted, the voice of reason in the ever-growing chaos. The candle was flickering on the bedside table, a couple of feather had been singed when they’d floated too close but so far they were alright. 

The Doctor glanced over at the danger leaving his chest unguarded and Donna swung. She hit him squarely in the chest and he fell backwards, landing on the bed. “Oomph!” 

Donna giggled as she jumped up onto the bed, to join her friends. Both Martha and the Doctor were covered in feathers. The feathers in particular were sticking to the Doctor’s hair. Donna plopped down in between her friends and picked a feather from the Doctor’s hair. His cheeks were flushed red from the exertion and his eyes were twinkling in the candle light. Despite her earlier protests, Donna thought that he looked very handsome indeed. If not a little silly. 

“You’re a right state you are.” Donna beamed at her alien friend. 

“And you look lovely as ever, Mrs Noble.” He teased with a fond smile. 

“Oh stop it!” Donna swatted his arm and sat back on her ankles. It was a tight squeeze with the three of them on the bed. There definitely wouldn’t enough space for all three of them to lie down and get to sleep. Oh how she longed for her large king sized mattress on board the Tardis. It would definitely be better than this dank small room. 

"So, who's going where?” Martha asked, snapping Donna out of her thoughts. 

“Oh I don’t mind. I don’t sleep much anyway. You two take the bed." The Doctor jumped off the mattress and stood staring out of the window. 

Donna wanted to protest, not at sharing the bed with Martha, that was fine. She’d done it with friends all the time, sleeping that is. No funny business. Well, she didn’t make a habit of it at any rate, but the Doctor still needed sleep. She’d caught him drooling all over the Tardis console at least twice and had had to drag him to his bedroom by his coattails and force him to lie down. She had a theory that he too suffered from nightmares and consequently he tried to put off sleeping as much as possible, but she had yet to confirm it. It had never seemed like the right time to bring it up. 

“Wake me up after a few hours.” Donna insisted. “I’ll swap with you. I can kip on the chair for a bit.”

“Oh that’s not necessary." The Doctor tried to protest.

“Oh but it is. Even Time Lords need sleep, you daft Martian.” Donna crossed her arms and looked at him until he agreed. 

“I’m not from Mars.” He rolled his eyes. “But fine. I’ll swap with you after a few hours." The Doctor plopped into the arm chair and ran his hands through his hair with a sigh. His brain was obviously still trying to solve the puzzle of the witchcraft. 

Martha propped herself up in the bed as they each settled in to their designated sleeping space. “So, magic and stuff?” She said breaking the silence that had settled over the room. “That’s a surprise. It's all a little bit Harry Potter.”

“Wait till you read book seven. Oh, I cried." The Doctor smiled at the memory. Donna laughed, bloody time traveller. She wondered if he would let her sneak a peak at the book if she promised not to tell anyone. It was due to be released later that year anyway. 

“But is it real, though? I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?” Martha asked. 

“Ooh yeah! I’d love to learn a few spells. It would be handy for dealing with the grabby hands down at the pub!” Donna replied gleefully. “Stupefy!” She mimicked casting a spell at the Doctor but he wasn’t very impressed.

He ruffled his hair, pulling at the roots “Course it isn’t!” He seemed offended by the idea.

“Well, how are we supposed to know?” Martha challenged him and Donna nodded. “I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break.” 

“Yeah. Don’t be an arse about it, Spaceman. Some of us are only human.” Donna added in defence of her friend. 

“Looks like witchcraft, but it isn’t…" The Doctor continued ignoring them both. Donna shared an exasperated look with Martha, apparently he’d gone into one of his Time Lords are superior moods. Donna was still trying to knock that one out of him. He really could be a prat at times. He pulled the collar of his long trench coat up to his nose as he stared thoughtfully at them both, lost in his own mind. 

“There’s such a thing as psychic energy, but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that.” He continued as he rubbed his eyes. Donna frowned as she tried to keep her own eyes open, now that they adrenaline was fading she was starting to feel tired but it was captivating watching the Doctor try and work through the puzzle. She didn’t want to miss it. Not this time. “No, there's something I'm missing. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it!” 

The Doctor was getting frustrated but his voice was still soft and almost hypnotic. No wonder Donna was starting to drift off. She blinked a couple of times and tried to focus on her friend. Even Martha had sunk back onto the bed whilst he’d been talking. His voice must be having the same effect on her as well. Donna decided she was gonna have to ask him to record the next couple of chapters of the book she was reading, it would do wonders for her nightmares listening to him read just before bed. She could imagine him having far too much fun acting out all the voices…

And before she even realised Donna Noble had fallen asleep. 

The Doctor had continued thinking aloud for a few more minutes before he noticed the change of breathing in his companions. It was probably just as well they’d fallen asleep, he’d started thinking about how Rose would have noticed what he was missing, and that was a rabbit hole that he wasn’t ready to fall down just yet. He quietly padded across the room so he could blow out the little light that was next to Martha. 

Donna’s hair was catching beautifully in the candlelight. It almost looked like her hair was made of fire. She looked peaceful when she was sleeping, the Doctor had noticed that before. He found himself watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. When Donna Noble was asleep she finally stopped shouting at the world, and the Doctor could appreciate her beauty without the fear of getting caught. He brushed her fringe away from her face and kissed her forehead. 

“Goodnight, my Bella Donna.” He whispered quietly before blowing out the candle and returning to his corner of the room. 

* * *

Martha was pulled out of her dream about witches chasing rhinos around her local pub whilst her parents were screaming down the place. The Doctor had been jumping around on top of the bar barefoot and Donna had been pulling Martha away towards the door which looked suspiciously like the Tardis, but before they could enter the space ship she was woken up by screaming.

It sounded strangely like the screams her parents had been making in her dream.

The Doctor was already off his chair and charging from the room. Donna gasped awake and almost hit her in the face as she scrambled to get out of the bed. “Bloody Martian!” Donna groaned as she chased after the Doctor. Martha was not about to get left behind so she rolled out the bed, it was good practice for when she passed her doctor exams. She’d have to get used to waking up fast. 

The Doctor went straight to the body on the floor, and Donna crouched down beside him. The redhead let out a small gasp and clasped her hand over her mouth, tears already welling up in her eyes. Martha was more interested in the window. It was flung wide open and she could have sworn she heard a swooshing sound when they entered the room. 

To Martha’s utter surprise, there was a witch flying away. An actual cackling, riding a broomstick, probably had a black cat… witch. It was even a full moon. Martha pinched her arm to check she wasn’t still dreaming but she was definitely awake and that was definitely a witch.

“Doctor!” She called to her new alien friend who was still examining the body on the floor. 

He came rushing up to her, his suit all ruffled and his ties loose around his neck. “What did you see?” He asked.

“A witch.” Martha said with a shudder as she admitted it aloud. 

“Did she kill the barmaid?” Donna asked quietly.

“Dolly.” Shakespeare… _The William Shakespeare… _corrected. “Her name was Dolly.”

“Did that witch kill Dolly?” Donna asked again. She looked shaken and pale. It wasn’t the first time they’d seen a dead body with the Doctor but it never got any easier, Martha knew that much from her training as a doctor. 

The Doctor nodded sombrely. “Yeah, I think so. We’ll figure this out Donna, I promise. We’ll catch her and we will stop her, whatever her plan is. I will stop it." The Doctor said darkly. Martha couldn’t quite remember ever seeing him so serious. Certainly not when Donna was around. 

“Where did she go?” Martha asked. The witch had flown off into the moonlight. She could be anywhere by now unless the Doctor had some kind of witch finding device, maybe a pin? That’s what they used to use didn’t they?

“I don’t know." The Doctor muttered fiercely. “God why can’t I think?!” He tugged at his hair and spun around. 

“Because you’re running on fumes.” Donna interjected. “Wherever she’s gone, it’s late. We’ll find her tomorrow. We all need to rest. Even you Bill.” Donna added with a look at the playwright who they’d found napping at his desk. “Upstairs! All of you. Chop chop!”

“Donna, I really don’t think…” The Doctor started to say.

“Now, Doctor!” The redhead snapped. 

“I’ll take the chair.” Martha added helpfully. She was spooked by the witch she’d seen out the window. She didn’t think she would sleep properly now. She was too wired, but Donna was not going to back down so she’d play along. 

“You can take Dolly’s bed.” Shakespeare suggested. “It’s morbid but she won’t be needing it.”

“Fine!" The Doctor agreed reluctantly, rubbing his eyes. “Fine but only until dawn and then we reconvene in here and try and figure out what these witches want. Got it?” 

Everyone nodded wearily and they shuffled off to their respective bedrooms. Martha tried not to think about the dead woman who had slept in her bed just the night before. 

* * *

Donna marched upstairs with the Doctor in tow. She was bloody tired, she never did well when her sleep was interrupted so sharply, and she was pretty sure the Doctor hadn’t slept at all yet. He may be Time Lord but he had dark circles around his eyes and his brain functions seemed to have been getting worse and worse ever since they’d arrived. He had probably been awake since the alarms had started blaring in the Tardis… if not before. Donna had at least managed to snooze in the hospital but even that felt like a week ago now. 

When they reached the bedroom Donna suddenly realised that she’d be sharing a bed with him. Her smart idea didn’t seem so smart now. She looked at the Doctor but he’d already pulled off his jacket and thrown it over the chair along with his tie. It was rare to see him looking so unkempt, and it was actually kind of sexy. Not that she’d ever tell him that. Donna decided that if the Doctor could ignore the fact this was definitely new territory for them, and really weird considering some maybe growing unwanted feelings on Donna’s side, then she could too. She pulled off her own jacket and shrugged it over the chair with his suit jacket and laid down on the bed, like she had with Martha before. As much as she tried to tell herself this was no different… it was. 

The Doctor practically fell into bed next to her with a loud flop. 

“You don’t snore do you?” Donna teased, trying to shake some of her nerves. 

“Course not. Time Lord’s don’t snore." The Doctor murmured. He rolled onto his side to face her. Donna couldn’t help but mirror him, it was strangely intimate. She wondered if he even realised. “I’m sorry, Donna.”

She was taken aback by his quiet admission. “What for?” She wanted to reach out to him, to run her fingers along his cheek, but she stayed still, her hands glued to her chest.

“This was supposed to be fun. I thought, William Shakespeare, what could go wrong? Fun adventure for Martha and some down time for us. I know all of our trips have ended badly. I never mean for things to go wrong. They just do." The Doctor’s eyes were pained and he looked genuinely distressed. 

Donna reached out and held his hand, ignoring the flutter in her chest. “They don’t end badly, we save people. We always do in the end, and this is fun. Chasing down witches in Elizabethan England with William Shakespeare… don’t get that in Chiswick.” She smiled gently. “It would be worse if you weren’t here to stop it. Half of London would probably be fried by The Racnoss, Those people in the hospital would most likely all be dead. I’d be spider food.”

“Nah… you’d have yelled her to death and probably swung that axe at her." The Doctor chuckled gently and squeezed her hand. “So not a total disaster then?”

“Oh it’s close.” She teased and booped his nose like he’d done to her in the hospital. His eyes went wide and he scrunched his nose in surprise. “But the best is yet to come.”

“And what’s that then?" The Doctor asked with a grin.

“Oh I don’t know. Probably a lot of running though, maybe some aliens trying to take over Earth, some grand speech about how you can help them find a better place and then a dramatic battle when they refuse followed by us saving the Earth… again.” She grinned back. Her eyes were beginning to ache and her eyelids felt heavy. 

The Doctor chuckled. “One day I’ll get a thank you for that.” 

“You tart…” Donna mumbled sleepily as she began to doze off. 

“Goodnight Donna." The Doctor whispered as he pressed a kissed to her hair. Donna thought that would have to tease him about that in the morning, if she could remember… she was too tired now and it was kind of nice.

“Night, spaceman…” 

* * *

Martha was in dire need of a shower. She was still wearing the clothes she had worn to her brother’s party the night before, before the Tardis, and the time travel and Love Labour’s Lost. She hadn’t even managed a proper wash and her teeth were starting to feel weird having not cleaned them. She hadn’t realised she was getting the authentic roleplaying version of time travel. She’d hoped that she’d still be able to have a hot shower, but with all the witches and meeting famous playwrights she just hadn’t had time. 

The Doctor had woken them all up at the crack of dawn. Donna had slowly padded out of their shared room looking as bad as Martha felt. She too was wearing her old clothes and she was tugging at her long red hair with a comb. She looked like she need a cup of coffee stat. 

Will looked as though he hadn’t slept a wink which was probably only slightly less than Martha had slept but it was a new day and at least the Doctor seemed to have perked up. He was their alien expert after all. They needed his brain power more than anyone else’s. 

They had finally worked out that The Globe was the key and after marching everyone to the famed theatre, the Doctor had spent less than five minutes there before deciding they needed to visit the architect instead and so they were off. The Doctor had pushed through the gates of the Globe theatre and back out towards the street with Donna hot on his heels. 

Martha wondered to herself if they were really just friends as they both claimed. They played the married act too well in her opinion. 

“So, tell me of Freedonia,” Will cut off her train of thought as he caught up to her. “where women can be doctors, writers, actors.”

Martha smiled to herself. His tone was obviously flirty and the man wasn’t too bad on the eyes. William Shakespeare was flirting with her and she’d never be able to tell a soul. Who would believe her? She’d have to discuss it with Donna later, she would enjoy the gossip, but until then Martha Jones was going to make the most of it. You only got to flirt with historical figures once in a blue moon and this was the man that practically invented romance! “This country's ruled by a woman.” She shot back at the playwright with a smile.

“Ah, she's royal. That's God's business.” Shakespeare insisted. It made Martha glad that she’d been born in time for the 21st Century. It wasn’t perfect but it was a damn sight better than this. “Though you are a royal beauty.” Will added with a wink. 

Martha giggled, she couldn’t help it, but she was smart. She’d studied history and literature at school, she wouldn’t be known as Shakespeare’s mistress thank you very much. Flirting was one thing but she had to put some boundaries in place. “Whoa, Nelly. I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country.” 

“But Martha, this is Town.” Shakespeare quipped in a heavily seductive tone.

Neither of them hand noticed the Doctor and Donna had stopped in the street ahead of them. Donna had her hands on her hips and was smirking at the pair of them. The Doctor passed her something which she pocketed before he chastised them with an exasperated look on his face. “Come on. We can all have a good flirt later!” He snapped. 

But William Shakespeare was not done yet. He winked at the Doctor and turned his flirtatious smile onto the Time Lord. “Is that a promise, Doctor?” 

Martha huffed a surprised laugh. There’d been rumours but she’d thought that was just people grasping at straws! She’d never seriously believed that William Shakespeare could be bisexual… not that he probably even thought about it like that. Martha was pretty sure those terms didn’t even exist in Elizabethan England.

The Doctor seemed equally stunned. He looked between the two of them with a stoic look on his face. “Oh, fifty seven academics just punched the air. Now move!”

Martha shared a smile with the playwright and chased after the Doctor. This time Donna let the Doctor get ahead of her. “Nice catch!” She hissed at Martha as they ran through the streets towards Bedlam.

* * *

Martha was appalled. The conditions inside of Bedlam went against everything she knew as a medical student. She’d read about Bedlam and about the history of medicine but this was… this was torture. This was no way to cure the mind. There were people screaming in agony and begging to be let out of their cells. There were whips and metal clamps hung up on the walls. The Doctor had been vicious to the man in charge, and rightfully so. Martha could see how he earned his title. It wasn’t just planets he made better, he truly cared about people. 

The Doctor was crouched down in front of the architect. His eyes were cold and he suddenly looked a lot older than his years. It was as if those eyes had seen the creation of time itself… perhaps they had. Martha really didn’t know. Maybe Time Lords didn’t age like humans… they were certainly stronger. The Doctor had absorbed the radiation like it was nothing at all. It would have killed Martha and Donna on the spot. The Time Lord pressed his fingers to Peter’s temples and spoke very softly. 

“Peter, I'm the Doctor.” 

“What’s he doing?” She whispered to Donna, hoping she might know. She’d traveled with the Doctor before. The Doctor’s eyes flashed up to hers and his face looked like thunder. Martha clamped her mouth shut and took a deep breath. 

Donna gave her a small sad smile and mouthed something. It looked like she might have said "Tell you later” but it was hard to tell in the dark room. 

The Doctor refocused onto Peter’s face and continued to talk very softly. Almost like he was trying to hypnotise him.“Go into the past. One year ago. Let your mind go back. Back to when everything was fine and shining.” Martha felt that strange sensation of tiredness come over her that she’d felt last night before Dolly Bailey had been murdered. She blinked and focussed hard on what the Doctor was saying. Beside her Donna and Will had also gone very still and quiet. The only sound in the cell was the dulcet tones of the Doctor’s voice. “Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A Winter's Tale. Let go.” Streete began to fall backwards but the Doctor kept his hands cupped around Streete’s face. “That's it. That's it, just let go.”

And gently the architect fell back into his cot, breathing heavily and watching the Doctor as if he was some sort of ghost. Peter Streete himself was a shadow of a human being. It made Martha feel sick inside. He must have been a genius to create the Globe but you would never know it now to look at him. His was ghastly pale, and his eyes were haunted and manic. He almost didn’t look human.

“Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches." The Doctor asked as he stood back up, towering over the sick man with a dark look on his face. 

“Witches spoke to Peter.” The man said, his hand were twitching and grasping at something in the air that they couldn’t see. Donna grabbed Martha’s hand tight. Martha looked at her friend, she looked distressed. There were tears shining, unfallen, in her eyes. Martha squeezed Donna’s hand and turned back to face the Doctor and Peter. “In the night, they whispered. They whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design._ Their_ design!” He snapped viciously. Martha wanted to look away but she just couldn’t bring herself to. It was like driving past an accident. You know you shouldn’t watch but you just have to know… you have to see.

“The fourteen walls. Always fourteen.” He continued. Martha shared a look with Donna. It was fourteen again. Just like they’d said at The Globe. Peter giggled manically. It was hard to believe this man had once created one of the most famous theatres in the world. It was a tragedy. If only there was some way to help him. “When the work was done they snapped poor Peter's wits.”

“Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city?" The Doctor asked but the man didn’t answer. He was too lost in his mind, in his story. The Doctor crouched down again, trying to get Peter’s attention. “Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?” He hissed frantically. 

“All Hallows Street.” He answer darkly, and for a moment there was clarity in his eyes. 

“Too many words.” A new voice said and the Doctor span around. Martha jumped. There was a witch standing directly behind the Doctor. How had they not seen her before?! There was no way she’d enter though the gates. It was magic!

“What the hell?!” Martha exclaimed in shock.

“How the hell did she get there?” Donna snapped at the same time, as she also jumped, squeezing Martha’s hand too tightly. 

“Just one touch of the heart.” The witch cackled, waving a finger in the air ominously.

“No!" The Doctor yelled but he was too late. 

The witch put her hand on Peter Streete’s chest and he screamed. The witch wailed as he died, like she was absorbing his power or something. Martha winced at the sound of the dying man’s last breaths. 

“Oh you are going to pay for that!” Donna shouted at the witch. She lurched forward but the Doctor flung out his hand and held her back. He shook his head at her and Donna narrowed her eyes at him but took a step back.

“Witch! I'm seeing a witch!” Shakespeare cried and pointed at the old hagged lady. He was handling the whole thing remarkably for an Elizabethan man who had no prior history with aliens or witchcraft. 

“Now, who would be next, hmm? Just one touch.” The witch cackled, it was straight out of every horror film Martha had seen that involved witches. She was starting to feel more than a little terrified. She took a step back towards the steel bars of the cell. She wanted to leave now. She wanted to go home! “I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals.”

“Let us out! Let us out!” Martha turned and pulled at the bars. She prayed to God that someone would hear them. 

“That's not going to work. The whole building's shouting that." The Doctor said coldly. 

“Then do something!” Donna cried as she pulled Martha into a hug. 

Martha felt frozen in fear. All the bravery she’d felt on the moon before stepping out onto the balcony had vanished. She felt no better than a child. If only she could just use ‘Riddikulus’ and turn the witch into funny looking teddy bear or something. 

“Who will die first, hmm?” The witch sang eerily. 

“Well, if you're looking for volunteers." The Doctor stepped forward with his hands in his pockets. 

Martha felt her blood run cold. The Doctor couldn’t die! If he died then they were all dead, and even if she did miraculous survive then she’d be stuck! “No! Don't! She cried as he buried her face into Donna’s shoulder. 

“Don’t you dare!” Donna yelled at their friend. 

“Doctor, can you stop her?” She heard the playwright ask. 

“No mortal has power over me.” The witch hissed. 

“Oh, but there's a power in words." The Doctor shot back. “If I can find the right one. If I can just know you.”

“None on Earth has knowledge of us.” The witch gloated smugly.

“Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think. Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy." The Doctor rambled, it was almost as if he was playing for time whilst he figured out the puzzled. For the first time since the witch appeared, Martha felt her fear start to fall away. The Doctor would get them out. How had she ever doubted him? “Ah! Fourteen!” He suddenly yelled and spun around in triumph. “That’s it! Fourteen! The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!”

Martha had to shield her eyes as the creature, witch, Carrionite, burst into light and disappeared and she screamed. The battle was over, but Martha had a feeling the war had only just begun.

* * *

Martha and Shakespeare had split off to go and stop the play, divide and conquer, which left Donna and the Doctor to search the old cottage that the witches called home. It was just like something out of the movies; old, dark and full of occult knick knacks. Donna had to keep reminded herself that she hadn’t stumbled onto the set of Harry Potter. 

What was interesting is the witch, Carrionite, whatever she was, had stopped her attempts to name Donna. She had started to point and weave poetry about her but fell silent before saying her name. She refused to say why but she had seemed very fixated on Donna’s back all of a sudden.

“What are you looking at?!” Donna snapped as she tried to see what the witch was looking at but there was nothing there. 

“The universe has other plans for you, Doctor Donna, and there is something on your back!” The witch hissed and then spun to face the Doctor. “And as for you, Sir Doctor. Fascinating. There is no name.”

“No wait a minute, Sabrina!” Donna cut her off. “What are you talking about ‘something on my back!’ There’s nothing there! and I’m not a Doctor. It’s Martha and this skinny string bean!” She gestured to the Doctor 

“Donna…" The Doctor said quietly and placed his hand on her arm. She glared at him and he shook his head. She snapped her mouth shut and turned her glare onto the Carrionite. She was a pretty thing but that only hid a blackened soul. She assumed this witch was the ring leader, like in that Stardust film, the head witch became younger and beautiful to trick the men into doing her bidding. 

“Why would a man hide his title in such despair?” The Carrionite pointed ominously towards the Doctor as if she were trying to figure him out. “Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches.” 

“The naming won't work on me.” His voice was cold and unfeeling. 

It sent shivers down her spine, it was so unlike the man she’d fallen asleep next to the night before. That man had been open, vulnerable, even scared. Donna knew the Time Lord just wanted to see the wonders of the universe but the universe fought back. It was almost like the Doctor blamed himself for all the tragedy he had faced, but he wasn’t alone anymore. Donna would keep reminding him of that. 

“But your heart grows cold. The north wind blows and carries down the distant -”

“- Oi! That’s enough of that, Bellatrix!” Donna cut her off. “You’re playing with fire! Don’t you know witches get burnt at the stake?”

The Doctor’s eyes flashed towards her and she saw a hint of mirth playing in the stormy depths, there was even the beginnings of a small smile. Even though the Carrionite hadn’t finished her sentence they could both tell where the rhyme was leading and now he was all fire; raging through the room like a hurricane. 

He began to draw out the Carrionite’s plan. Donna wanted to slap the witch in her perfect pretty little face. She had taken advantage of Shakespeare’s grief and drawn power from the madness that could only come from a parent losing a child. Donna couldn’t even imagine what it must be like to lose a child but she had desperately wanted children, probably why she pushed Lance to marry her so quickly. 

“You think you’re clever do you? Playing with people’s emotions like that for your own gain?” Donna snapped. 

“Everyone serves a purpose, Donna Noble, you are no different.” The witch smirked.

“Oh yeah and what’s mine? Temp from Chiswick. Probably just sorting out the filing system at Harrods.” Donna glared at her. 

“You can’t see it can you?” The witch tilted her head and then looked to the Doctor. “Oh but you, you can.”

“See what?!” Donna yelled in exasperation. Stupid, dumb aliens! “See what Doctor?”

“I don’t know." The Doctor said cautiously, but he didn’t linger on the idea. He stared down at the Carrionite with fire burning in his eyes. “How many of you?”

“Just the three.” The witch turned to the window and looked out on the city below. “But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening, Elphaba!” Donna hissed and crossed her arms. Why did aliens always want to take over the Earth? It wasn’t that great and humans were doing a grand job of destroying it slowly, but at least it was their planet to destroy. Donna wasn’t too fond of the ‘blood and magic’ plan. Harry Potter magic had always fascinated her but not to the point of destroying the Earth. 

“She’s right, first you've got to get past me." The Doctor agreed and stared down at the witch.

“Oh, that should be a pleasure, considering my enemy has such a handsome shape.” The witch didn’t seem intimidated in the slightest. She pushed her beautiful face close to the Doctor’s. Donna’s stomach twisted, it looked like the Carrionite was about to kiss her Time Lord. 

The Doctor was unaffected by the sudden closeness which was curious because Donna had always found it quite easy to get him flustered, an innuendo here, a wink there and a flip of her hair, and he always blushed like a teenager on a first date. “Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not going to work on me." The Doctor stood his ground as the Carrionite stroked her long fingers behind the nape of his neck and into his spiky brown hair. 

“Oh, we'll see.” She sang with a smirk. 

Donna noticed the tiny scissors in her hands too late. “Oi!” She yelled as the Witch cut a few strands of hair from the Doctor’s head and stepped back away from him quickly. 

The Doctor’s hand flung up to the back of his head. “What was that for? What did you do?”

“Souvenir.”

“Well, give it back!” He yelled and lunged towards her but it was no use. The witch flew backwards out of the window, hovering a distance away in the air. 

“Well, that's just cheating." The Doctor pouted.

“Can the mighty Time Lords do that?” Donna teased him, earning a scowl from her best friend. 

“Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets.” The witch cackled, at least the movies got that bit right. She began to wind the Doctor’s hair around a tiny little voodoo doll. 

“That doesn’t look good.” Donna pointed out rather unhelpfully as she stared at the ground from the window then back up to the witch. She couldn’t see any wires or anything, and there was no obvious way that the witch was flying. “How’s she doing that? Some kind of air-bending? I thought you said magic wasn’t real? Power of words or something instead of numbers… but she didn’t say any words, Doctor?” Donna asked. 

“Now, you might call _that _magic" The Doctor pointed to the tiny little voodoo doll. “I'd call that a DNA replication module.” 

“Still doesn’t explain the flying.” Donna muttered. 

“What use is your science now?” The witch smirked and stabbed the doll with a pin.

The Doctor screamed and fell to the floor, grasping at his chest. The witch cackled and flew away as the windows slammed shut.

“Doctor!!” Donna ran to his side, scrapping her knees against the cold wooden floor. It stung but she ignored the pain, her priority was the Doctor. She had flashbacks to the hospital. The Doctor’s pale ashen face still against the tiled floor. The Judoon confirming that he was deceased. “Oh God. What do I do? I’m not a doctor?!” Donna cried in a panic.

“Oh Donna… I didn’t know you cared." The Doctor’s eyes opened and he smirked at her. “Thought I was just a skinny string bean!”

“I am gonna kill you!” Donna shrieked but hugged him as he tried to pull himself up onto his feet. 

“Ah!” He screamed and stumbled just as he managed to get upright. Donna managed to steady him but he was heavier than he looked. “I’ve only got one heart working!” He gasped, looking offended by the idea of it. “How do you people cope?!”

“Oi!” Donna hissed. “Watch it!”

“I've got to get the other one started. Hit me! Hit me on the chest!” He shouted as he clung onto her arm.

“With pleasure, Alien Boy!” Donna laughed and smacked him hard on the chest, it served him right for pretending to be dead.

“Gah!” He yelled in pain “Other side!”

“Oops. Sorry!” Donna shrugged and tried again on his left side. “Could have specified!”

“Now, on the back, on the back.” He fell onto his hands and knees so Donna could reach and Donna thumped him again hard. He bloody owed her for this! “Left a bit!”

“Blimey. You’re demanding.” She teased and hit him again.

“Ah! Lovely! There we go. Badda boomba! Well, what are you standing there for?” He winked at her.

“Oh you are gonna get it, spaceman! Just you wait until we’re back on the Tardis!” Donna pretended to glare at him, but really she was relieved. She didn’t want a dead Time Lord on her hands.

“Come on! The Globe!” He sprinted out of the room as if he hadn’t just suffered cardiac arrest, leaving Donna in the dust. Donna chased after him as the adrenaline began to spike in her body. She was starting to think adrenaline might end up being her main source of energy in her travels with the Doctor. 

* * *

Martha’s head was spinning. They’d failed at stopping the play. She couldn’t remember what had happened but she’d woken up next to Will off-stage to the Doctor staring furiously down at them both. They’d messed up big time. There were dark clouds over in the sky and bright pink lightning strikes thundering overhead. The screams of the audience tore through the air and Martha was instantly transported back to the moon. It didn’t matter what era of time you were in, the terror in the screams of those who truly believed they were about to die never changed. 

Donna helped her to her feet as the Doctor charged through the curtain and onto the stage. Martha followed as fast as she could, gripping onto Donna’s arm. Witches were swarming up in the sky and cackling loudly above the screams of the audience. 

“Bloody hell…” Donna whispered in awe next to her, her ginger hair was whipping around her face in the stormy winds that were roaring through the theatre. 

Martha shielded her eyes from the wind. The strength of the wind was making her eyes sting and her head was still aching from when she’d been knocked out. The Doctor was yelling at Will to encourage him to improvise a counter-spell. How the famous bard could think over all this noise was a miracle, but her and Donna hadn’t started fading yet so there was still hope. They still had time. 

“Close up this din of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot. You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not!” Shakespeare shouted up at the swarm of Carrionites above them. 

“Doting Doctor! Ha!” Donna laughed and nudged Martha in the arm, but neither men noticed. The Doctor was looking frantically between Shakespeare and the witches up above them. The magic storm showed no sign of stopping. “Looks like you’ve got competition for old Bill’s heart.”

“Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points…” Shakespeare’s eyes went wide and he stared at the Doctor, floundering for the right words. 

“Seven six one three nine oh!" The Doctor suggested loudly. Martha wondered why those numbers but William didn’t pause. He continued to weave words like magic in the old, well… new, theatre. 

“Seven six one three nine oh! Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee…” He paused again and looked to the Doctor but this time the Time Lord had no answer. 

Cuss…

Cuss… What rhymes with cuss? Martha wracked her brains for something, anything!

“Well how should I know?” Donna shouted at the Doctor when both men turned to her. 

“Well you normally have a lot to say!" The Doctor shouted back. 

Cuss… spells… magic words…

“Oi!” Donna shouted back to the Time Lord.

“Expelliarmus!” Martha blurted. Magic words! A disarming spell, and one that rhymed!

“Expelliarmus!" The Doctor and Donna shouted together with matching wide grins.

“Expelliarmus!” Shakespeare echoed along with his men.

The Carrionites began to scream and wail. That was a good sign right?

“Good old JK!" The Doctor cheered as the Carrionites began to spiral up into a dark cloud and Martha covered her ears as their screams pierced the air. The was a loud bang followed by the rustling of papers, and suddenly they were caught in a hurricane of paper as Love Labour’s Won flew up into the air. 

“Flipping hell!” Donna covered her head with her hands as she got covered in leafs of paper. 

“Love Labour’s Won!" The Doctor announced as he watched the flurry of paper swirl up into the dark void in the sky. “There it goes!

“Well that’s one mystery solved!” Donna laughed as the sky zapped and returned to normal, all traces of magic and plays vanishing into the void.

* * *

The Doctor had a few loose ends to tie up with the Carrionites and the timelines. Apparently it was important that Love Labour’s Won stayed lost, some kind of fixed point in time so they’d spent the whole night searching every crevice of the theatre, every row of seats and every dressing room. Martha and Will had spent the entire night doing the same outside of the theatre but they’d had no luck so they were waiting on the stage whilst Donna and the Doctor did their last checks in the prop store. Donna held up a yellow dress to her body and swished the skirt. It was beautiful but clearly not made for someone of her figure. Those acting boys didn’t quite have the chest that she did.

“Oi, spaceman!” She called to her friend who was digging around in some old chest, looking for errant copies of the cursed play. “What do you think?”

“What? Oh… not your colour." The Doctor grinned and ducked when she tossed the dress at him. “Oooh look at this!” He picked up a ruff and put it round his neck. “To be, or not to be?”

“Not to be.” Donna giggled. “Thank god they went out of fashion. The Bard might find some inspiration from it though” She pointed out. “Oh that is creepy!” She ran over to the other side of the small room as she spotted an old skull. 

The Doctor scrunched up his nose when she lifted it up to show him. “Oh that brings back memories.” 

“Alas poor Yorick?” Donna held out the skull dramatically.

“Donna that’s not even human." The Doctor pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

“Neither are you, sunshine.” Donna shot back. “Any luck?” 

“Nah, it’s all gone. Probably for the best.” He smiled softly at her with a twinkle in his eyes. “You were right.”

“About what?” Donna asked. She should start charging him for every time he actually admitted that. It was starting to become a habit. 

“We saved people." The Doctor stepped closer to her. “And about the grand speech.”

“Thought it would be you saying it though.” Donna chuckled and smiled up at her friend. 

The only thing that had been missing was the Doctor offering to find the Carrionites a new home. He’d never had the opportunity, when the words of power had been activated the only choice was to trap the witches in their magic ball thing. Donna wondered what he would have said if they’d managed to get to the playhouse before the end of the play, before the cursed words had been spoken. She wondered whether the Carrionites had already gone too far, killed too many people or whether they still deserved a second chance. It wasn’t their fault they were trap, or banished. Didn’t they deserve a home too? 

Then again, in Donna’s experience, the invaders never took the Doctor’s offer of a new world anyway so nothing would have probably changed.

“Well…” He said. “I had to give someone else a go, and who better than Shakespeare himself?”

“He fancied you a fair bit too” Donna swatted his chest lightly. 

“Ah but Donna, my Bella Donna, I do love nothing in the world so well as you.” the Doctor beamed down at her. 

Donna felt her cheeks flush red and she pushed him back. “You prawn!” She chastised but the Doctor surprised her by taking her hand and bringing it to his lips with a wink. Her heart was thundering in her chest. He was jesting, he must be. This couldn’t be serious. She pulled her hand back and rolled her eyes dramatically at him. “Careful, I might start believing you if you carry on like that!”

The Doctor chuckled. “Of course I love you, Earth girl. You’re my best friend.” He flashed her a mad grin but Donna thought there was something not quite right. It looked… wrong? Like he was trying to put on a brave face. Stupid alien boys made no sense. Donna needed a brand new dictionary to try and translate his Time Lord nonsense. Maybe her own disappointment was making her read too much into things. She wanted him to be serious. She wanted him to care but if she’d learnt anything from Lance it was that romance was far too much hassle and heartache.

“Daft Martian. We should go join the others. Make sure dear old Bill isn’t being a total cad with our young ward. Come on! Allons-y, Alien Boy!” She rushed out the room to join their friends in the grounds of the theatre. 

She stifled a giggle when she saw William lean in to try and kiss her friend. Martha rejected his attentions with a cutting remark about his breath but the Bard wasn’t too put out. The Time Lord, as always, had atrocious timing and completely wiped out the moment between Martha and Shakespeare, wittering on about Sycorax and ruffs and plays. 

They started to say their goodbyes when Will surprised them all by announcing they were time travellers which the Doctor was thrilled about. All previous thoughts about not meeting your heroes were thrown out of the window. The Doctor seemed to have completely forgotten his disappointment from when they’d first met the playwright and he was now firmly on Team Shakespeare once again. Donna laughed at her friend. He was like a kid in a joke shop, it was very endearing. 

Shakespeare proceeded to try a serenade Martha with a sonnet. My Dark Lady indeed. Martha Jones, muse of the bard. Donna was happy for her, even if the attention wasn’t exactly welcome, it was probably pretty flattering. At least Shakespeare was serious in his flirtations, unlike whatever the Doctor was playing at. She shared an amused look with the Doctor as the watched Shakespeare’s first performance of his famous sonnet. Martha looked very bemused by all the attention.

They were interrupted by the announcement of the Queen’s arrival. The famous monarch was not as happy to see the Doctor as he was to see her and once again they were running for their lives, leaving Shakespeare laughing behind them in the theatre. The Doctor grabbed Donna’s hand as he swerved through the crowds around the The Globe. 

“Come on!” He shouted at Martha who was a little way behind them.

“Stop in the name of the Queen!” The guards yelled but to no avail. 

“What have you done to upset her?” Martha exclaimed as she almost tripped over a barrel in the street. 

“How should I know? Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you. Still, can't wait to find out." The Doctor grinned at them both as he fiddled with the key. 

“Oh give it here!” Donna grabbed the key and slotted it easily into the lock. The doors of the Tardis swung open just in time as Martha and Donna ran into safety. The Tardis welcomed Donna with a delighted cry, Martha didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. 

The Doctor paused and looked back out to the guards that were chasing him with a beaming smile on his face. “That’s something to look forward to. Ooo!” He ducked inside as an arrow came flying at his head. The door of the Tardis slammed shut just in time as the Doctor raced to the console. 

“Right! Home time!” He grinned and pulled a lever down with a dramatic flair and swish of his coat.

* * *

Martha was standing back outside her house in the 21st century. She looked as exhausted as Donna felt. It was dark outside, apparently only ten minutes after she’d first stepped inside the Tardis. Donna had insisted on that. The young med student needed a chance to rest before going on with her life at the hospital.

“You sure you don’t want to come with us?” Donna asked. She was standing in front of the Tardis with the Doctor, the Time Lord leaning casually against the wooden box behind her. 

“Yeah.” Martha nodded. “It was brilliant, mad, thrilling, best adventure I’ll ever have.” 

“All reasons to come with us." The Doctor pointed out.

“And reasons to stay. I don’t know how you do that all the time. Day in, Day out.” Martha huffed a laugh. “It’s exhausting. Plus if I stay too long I’ll forget everything I’ve learnt for my exams. If I want to be a doctor one day I have to focus on reality.”

“You’re going to be an amazing doctor Martha Jones, even better than this idiot.” She pointed to the Doctor. 

“Oi!” 

“You’re calm under pressure. Don’t let the boys get to you. Doctor Martha Jones. It has a good ring to it.” Donna grinned. 

“It does, doesn’t it? You look after him. He needs you.” Martha nodded to the Time Lord.

“I’m right here!” He protested. 

“And don’t forget about me. You need a hand for something then I’ll be there.” Martha added. “Do you have a number or something?”

Donna looked to the Doctor to answer. She hadn’t even thought about that. She’d not even rung her parents or her gramps since she’d left them on Christmas day. Was it even possible to call someone from the Time Vortex? She couldn’t imagine the signal being very good. 

“Oh yes. Right. Phones! Both of you come here." The Doctor gestured for them both to pass him their phones. Donna raised her eyebrow as she fished her phone out of her jacket and handed it to him, watching as Martha did the same. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it first at Donna’s phone then at Martha’s with a concentrated look on his face. “There we go!” He grinned and passed both devices back. 

“What did you do, spaceman?” Donna asked.

“Oh just tweaked the settings a little bit. You’ll never lose signal now, boosted the battery by three hundred percent as well, oh and your internet speed has tripled. You’re welcome!" The Doctor gave them a cheeky grin as he pocketed his screwdriver. 

“You’re kidding!” Martha tossed her phone in her hands and stared in awe at the mobile device. “He’s kidding right?” She asked Donna.

“We’ll soon find out! I’ll call you once we’re in the vortex.” Donna suggested as she unlocked her own phone. It no longer showed her normal service provided. Instead it was some strange circular scribbles in the corner. Not too dissimilar to the writing she’d seen around the Tardis. 

“Right. We’d best be off then. Donna? You coming?" The Doctor held out his hand towards her which she took willingly, blushing as she remembered his words from the prop store, the intensity in his gaze as he kissed her hand. 

“Can’t get rid of me, even if you tried.” She teased. “See ya, Martha!” 

“Bye Doctor, Donna!” Martha gave them both a little wave as she stepped back from the Tardis. “Don’t be strangers!” She reminded them.

“Good luck Doctor Jones!" The Doctor gave her a wink as he herded Donna inside the Tardis.

“And you Doctor Noble.” Donna heard Martha reply.

“Still not married!” She called back but the door were already shut. “We’re never gonna live that down are we?” 

The Doctor laughed. “I don’t believe we will, Mrs Noble. Ooh! I nearly forgot! This…” He pulled out a key on a chain. “Is for you!” 

“Is that?” She asked in wonder as she held the tiny silver key in her hands. It felt warm against her skin and she could feel the Tardis a little louder in the back of her mind as soon as the Doctor dropped it into her hand.

“A key for the Tardis. It’s your home now, you deserve it.” He smiled brightly down at her. Donna grinned and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Thank you, spaceman.” She kissed his cheek before letting him go. He blushed and ran towards the Tardis console. 

“Oh it’s nothing.” He paused as his hand hovered above one of the dials. “You want to learn how to drive her?”

Donna’s eyes went wide. He wasn’t seriously asking her that? She wasn’t as telepathically connected to the Tardis as he was, so surely she wouldn’t be able to drive her properly, but the Tardis rumbled in disagreement in the back of her mind. The Doctor was still staring at her, frozen whilst he awaited her answer. 

“Oh go on then!” Donna grinned and bounded over to join him by the console.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As before all recognisable dialogue is not mine. This is clearly heavily influenced by the episode of the show but I hope I gave it my own spin. Also... there was only one bed!! Don't worry. Martha will be back. Next episode is an original one again, I'm trying to get the balance between the two right. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think :)


	7. Time Lock

The Doctor was watching Donna slowly circle the Tardis console as she tried to remember what each of the spacial controls did. He was leaning on one of the coral pillars, god he loved the coral pillars and the little bumps on the walls, he had no idea what the did but they looked cool and made the Tardis really feel alive. He noticed his companions had taken the news that the Tardis was alive much better with the coral than when she looked more like a traditional spaceship. 

They had just returned from New New York well… New New York for short. It would take far too long to say all the News every single time but two News helped to distinguish the city from the original. He didn’t know why he’d taken Donna there. Perhaps he’d been feeling a little nostalgic, perhaps he just really missed Rose. It had just been one of those days where he woke up deeply feeling the loss of those who had come before, and Rose was the first face these eyes had seen. He was bound to imprint on her more than others. His beautiful sweet Rose. He hoped that Pete’s World was treating her alright. Maybe she’d been able to work with Torchwood there. She had the fiery and tenacity for it and if he was being honest with himself, the recklessness that often accompanied Torchwood agents.

But New New York had been a mistake. Going back so soon felt like he was cheating on his former friend, felt like he was trying to replace her, and it hadn’t been fair to Donna either. She had stormed off in a rage when she realised he had just been reusing locations. He winced as he remember the fury in her eyes. She’d rightly called him out on it and left him in the alley way. Luckily she’d still been close by when she’d been kidnapped and he heard her shouting as she was pulled away. She might have still been in the motorway if he hadn’t have realised, or even worse she might have been dead. He’d have to have told Wilf he’d killed his only granddaughter. 

He shook his head to clear those thoughts and refocused on the redhead in front of him, still very much alive. She stood by his side whilst they watched The Face of Boe take his last breath. She’d comforted him whilst he mourned his friend. Even though he’d only met The Face of Boe a handful of times, he’d always felt a connection to him. They were both old travellers who were growing weary with life. Both doomed to outlive their friends and now he was only in that once more. 

Or was he?

_You are not alone._

The Face of Boe’s words haunted him. It was impossible. What did he mean? Was there another Time Lord? He’d know if there was. He’d sense it in his mind, he’d be able to smell it in the air. 

_You are not alone._

Donna had tried to lighten the mood by suggesting that meant she really would travel with him forever. He’d smiled at that. If only he were that lucky. Forever with Donna didn’t seem like a bad idea but the universe always had other plans, like whatever that Carrionite had been able to sense when she tried to name Donna. That was still running in the back of his mind, should he be worried about it? Probably. He filed it away for later. That was future him’s problem.

Donna looked up at him from where she was inspecting the different parts of the Tardis console with a fond smile. They were continuing her Tardis driving lessons. It was a good way to make it up to her for his thoughtlessness so he’d agreed, not to mention the fact it gave him an excuse to get closer to her. Donna, his wonderful brilliant Donna, had taken to life on the Tardis better than any of his human companions. The Tardis had welcomed the fiery redhead with open arms and had quickly made a telepathic bond with his new best friend, something she hadn’t done since before the Time War.

He’d been fighting his feelings ever since the rooftop but he was slowly beginning to give in to the inevitable. It wasn’t fair to Rose’s memory and he’d never even managed to tell Rose how he’d felt. He’d never managed to bring himself to say it aloud. Everyone he’d ever loved he’d lost so he’d thought that if he could just keep it to himself, if he could keep it a secret, then she wouldn’t be lost to him.

But that obviously hadn’t worked. 

The Doctor had often teased his young human companions that humans fall in love so fast. He pretended that Time Lords were above that but he’d never quite been able to convince his hearts. He’d loved all his companions in one way or another, every single one of them had broken his hearts when they left. It was the Time Lord’s curse, to outlive everyone he knew. So he had fought with his growing feelings for Donna. He didn’t want them. He was probably rebounding after Rose but this, with Donna, felt different, stronger, more real. 

Rose was young and beautiful. She was smart and resourceful and she never gave up. He loved that about her. Her refusal to leave his side even when it was far too dangerous for her to be there. It have saved him on more than one occasion, but he was also starting to realise that it had put so many others in danger. It had taken some time away from Rose for him to realise that. She had, at times, been reckless beyond compare, and it was curious that the Tardis had never bonded willingly with Rose and yet opened so quickly up to Donna. Maybe the Tardis had sensed that Rose would one day rip the heart from the Tardis and become the Bad Wolf. 

She may have saved him from the Daleks but it had also been his death. He thought about that kiss a lot. It often haunted both his dreams and his nightmares. He had been desperate to recreate that in his new body, and he didn’t count Cassandra, it may have been Rose’s body but it wasn’t Rose. He had been desperate but something had always stopped him. Maybe part of his soul associated kissing the young blonde with destruction. He winced as he remembered the way his body had been torn apart for the ninth time. He would always remember her fondly but, he was starting to see past the rose-tinted glasses he’d been wearing when the blonde had been around… pun intended. 

Donna on the other hand was effortlessly compassionate and kind to everyone she met. She yelled and shouted at the world when she found injustice but she was fiercely loyal and she fought for what she believed in with such a passion and fury. Her eyes so often shone with tears when she mourned those that died despite their best efforts, even if they were alien and different. She’d been the one to open up the Doctor’s mind to the caves, the creature that neither of them could even see. She’d begged him to save Beth and Carrie from their drowning city, to give them a chance in a new world, and then there was Pompeii. The tears shining in her beautiful eyes as she placed her hands over his on the lever. Together they destroyed the ancient city. She’d shared that terrible burden with him, he’d never had that before. He’d never let his companions know what it was like to make that choice. She was truly a brilliant shining star amongst the darkness in his soul. He smiled fondly as he remembered how easily she’d played along when he’d told the hospital staff that she was his wife. 

No. She wasn’t Rose. 

She was Donna and that was brilliant. 

It wasn’t the same affection he felt for Rose. It would be an insult to his former companion to suggest otherwise but it was the beginnings of something deep and something real.

And it scared the living daylights out of him. He’d rather face the Daleks. Well… maybe one Dalek. Well… an injured one, but still a Dalek! With a functioning eyestalk and whisk thingy. 

That was a technical term. Whisk thingy.

“Penny for them?” Donna asked as her hands trailed over the keyboard on the console. 

“Oh it’s nothing." The Doctor shrugged and pushed off the pillar towards the centre of the room. 

Donna raised an eyebrow and typed something into the keyboard. The Tardis lurched and then went deathly still. 

_What are you two up to? _He asked his ship with a scowl.

She was silent in response but he felt her ever comforting presence so there was no damage done. 

“What did you do?” He asked as he spun the screens round to have a look. They were still in the Time Vortex but they weren’t moving. The engines seemed to have stopped and there was something really strange that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. 

“You’re a Time Lord. Figure it out.” Donna narrowed her eyes at him. He’d done something to upset her apparently. Humans and their emotions. It was hard to work out at times, even for him and he was something of an anomaly when it came to being a Time Lord. 

He focussed on the movement of the ship. There wasn’t any, not through time or space. He looked at Donna closely, trying to see her timelines. He tried not to read the timelines of his companions, it was too close to his own personal timeline and anything the saw on his personal timeline would become the future, no matter how much he may wish to change it. Donna’s timelines weren’t visible. There was nothing there, he couldn’t read them. 

He scowled. He was missing something big. What was he missing. No movement, no time lines, no engines…. 

Oh! God he was an idiot! And a terrible Time Lord.

“You’ve put us in a time lock!” He stared between Donna and the blue glow of the central column. “How did you do that? I only just showed you the spacial controls!” 

“I had some help.” Donna smirked and patted the console. 

“What?” 

“I told you before, you could just ask her nicely.” Donna raised an eyebrow. 

“But why?!" The Doctor asked.

_We need to talk later, Old Girl! _ He added mentally to his ship, feeling more than a little betrayed. 

“Because, Martian, You are lying to me.” Donna put her hands on her hips. “Whatever you were thinking about was upsetting you. If we’re gonna be best friends…”

“We are best friends!” He insisted with a pout. Donna was the best friend he’d had in a long time, probably since The Academy. 

“Then you cannot lie to me.” Donna continued firmly. “It’s not nothing. If you don’t want to tell me then fine but do not lie about it, Doctor.”

He stopped and watched her for a moment. Her eyes were like glowing nebulas staring back at him. It reminded him of the double suns back on Gallifrey. The searing heat in the midday sun and the glowing orbs of light shining brightly against the burnt orange sky. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. She was right. Of course she was. He was quickly realising that his newest companion could see past almost every wall and mask that he’d created. He’d been lying for centuries both to his companions and to himself, but suddenly this seemingly unimportant human could see straight into his soul.

“Rose.” He admitted. “I was thinking about Rose.”

Donna nodded as if she’d expected this answer and opened her arms, inviting him into a hug. She was giving him the choice… He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been given the choice. Normally people flung their arms around him or he wrapped them up before they’d even realised he was going for a hug. This body, this mind in particular really liked hugs. Perhaps that had been a consequence of how he was born. He was born out of love, dying in a kiss and reborn to save the friend he adored. Rose. The first face these eyes saw.

Donna’s arms were an invitation, a choice to be vulnerable, to accept her comfort. He swallowed and wrapped her up in his arms, pulling her close and resting his chin on her shoulder. It wasn’t Rose, it would never be Rose again, but this was Donna. The beautiful fiery bride who had stopped him from his own destruction. He remembered how she had glowed with Huon energy, the same energy that fuelled his ship. It was almost like destiny had pulled them together. 

No. Donna was no rebound. She was an open door. A new chapter. A new chance and he was not going to miss this chance. Not this time. 

* * *

With the Tardis in a time lock, the Doctor was able to lose track of time. That was a strange sensation. He was always so aware of every second that passed, every millisecond but now he was lost, lost in Donna’s arms and her sweet vanilla scent. He wondered if that was her shampoo or whether Donna just naturally smelled so sweet. Maybe it was a bit of both. He held her tightly and she let him. They stood in silence, embracing in the console room of the Tardis until the Doctor started to feel angsty. The lack of time moving felt unnatural to him. Donna probably couldn’t even notice it. They could be here, in this moment for what might feel like years without ageing or sleep or food, because no time would actually be passing. It was a nifty little Time Lord trick, nothing would or could change inside the time lock no matter how much time passed on the outside. He was still at a loss as to how Donna had managed it, even with the Tardis’s help. She shouldn’t have even realised such a thing could exist. 

With a heavy sigh he dropped his arm and let Donna go. “Thank you, Donna.”

“Anytime, spaceman.” She smiled up at him, gone was the rage from before. Whatever he’d said or done to upset her earlier had been set right, thankfully. An angry Donna Noble was truly a sight to behold. “If you are ever ready to talk about it, about her, then I’m here for you.” She patted his arm. 

“Oh you know me. I’m alright.” He scoffed as he felt his mask fall back into place. Donna narrowed her eyes at him and he knew he hadn’t fooled her but she seemed to let it go. 

“You know, Doctor” She started to say cautiously. “I blame myself for Lance’s death.”

Her arms folded across her body and look away from him towards the floor. It broke his heart to see her suddenly looking so small, so afraid. 

“Oh Donna.” He said softly, taking her hand in his. “You are the last person I would blame for that.” He gently rubbed his thumb in circles on the back of her hand, hoping that it would be of some comfort.

“Yeah well. It doesn’t change the fact that it was supposed to be me. I relive that moment every night, play it out different ways, things I could have said differently, if I hadn’t of antagonised her like I always do. Maybe she would have shown him mercy.” Donna’s eyes were shining with tears as she spoke.

The Doctor knew why she was telling him this. It was the oldest trick in the book. She thought that by opening up to him, by telling him something that made her vulnerable, he would be compelled to do the same. He guessed that her situation wasn’t too dissimilar to what had happened with Rose. At least he could take comfort in the fact Rose was still alive. Pete had made sure of that. 

“You know that’s not true, Donna." The Doctor said in a low voice. “You did everything you could. We both did.”

“But it wasn’t enough.” Donna’s voice cracked and she hastily wiped away a tear that had begun to run down her cheek. She sniffed. “I wasn’t enough.”

The Doctor couldn’t hold back anymore. He pulled Donna back into his arms, like he’d wanted to do when she’d been crying in her room on Christmas Eve. She didn’t sob with the same abandonment as she had that night but he could still hear her sniffling against his chest. He stroked her hair gently and placed a kiss on top of her head. “You’re more than enough, Donna.”

“Oh God look at me, sobbing all over your jacket. This was supposed to be about you.” Donna pulled back and rubbed her eyes with her hands. “I’m a mess.”

“A hot mess." The Doctor amended with a cheeky grin. This was beginning to feel more familiar. 

“Oi! Don’t be a tart!” Donna swatted him lightly on the arm. “My point was, Spaceman, before I got all snotty over Lance, I get nightmares, I blame myself for things that are not my fault, and I know you do too.”

“It’s not totally impossible.” He shrugged and ran his hands through his hair. “I didn’t have nightmares at the tavern though, you know with Shakespeare and all that jazz.” That had been a pleasant surprise and he was eighty three percent sure it was because of Donna curled up beside him. At some point during the night he had ended up with his arms wrapped around her waist but he’d managed to disentangle himself before she’d woken up, saving them both an awkward conversation in the morning. 

He sat down on the cold metal floor of the Tardis and dangled his legs over the edge of the grates that surrounded the Console. Donna followed his lead and sunk down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. 

“No, but you were dead on your feet. Too tried for nightmares.” Donna suggested. “I didn’t have any either come to think of it. Guess we were both exhausted.”

“Or…” He paused, taking in her reaction. If he wasn’t careful his next words would destroy their friendship and he was not ready for that. “And this is just a theory…”

“Out with it, Alien Boy!” She rolled her eyes at him. 

He took a deep breath and continued. “Or it was the company that helped keep the nightmares at bay.”

Donna blushed and hit him on the arm hard. “Ouch!” He rubbed his arm, it wasn’t too sore, Time Lords were made of stronger stuff but he knew she needed to feel as if she’d had some effect. “What did you do that for?” 

“You know why.” She scowled. 

“I really don’t.”

“You really do.” She insisted. “That was a one time deal, Alien Boy!” 

“I’m just saying! It is just a hypothesis!” He threw his hands up to defend himself. “It could have been exhaustion though. Just like you said.” 

“A hypothesis?” Donna asked.

“Yup!" The Doctor nodded. “Just a harmless theory. Could be the exhaustion, could be the company. Hard to say. I normally manage to get a couple of hours of sleep before I get that tired but with the hospital then straight into Elizabethan England I just forgot. The adrenaline kept me going I suppose. Almost dying at the hands of a plasmavore and the Judoon in one day does that. Oh and then the Carrionites stopped my heart, but I suppose that was after we slept together…”

“OI!” Donna yelled. “We did what now?!”

“Slept! In the literal sense!” He clarified quickly throwing his hands in front of his face as Donna looked like she was winding up for another slap. “In the same bed. No funny business!”

“I know. I was there, Sunshine!” Donna raised an eyebrow. 

“Not that that would be the worst thing in the world. You are lovely." The Doctor continued. He didn’t want to offend his friend by making her think that sleeping with her would be a hardship… pun not intended. 

“Careful, spaceman.” Donna narrowed her eyes at him.

“But we’re mates! Best mates. Friends…. and I should really stop talking shouldn’t I?” 

Donna nodded slowly. “I think so.” She smirked. “So how do we test this hypothesis of yours?” 

“What?" The Doctor asked.

“Well, I may have ditched science pretty early on but I still remember the basics. Hypothesis and theories, normally you have to test them. Do experiments and stuff right?” Donna quirked an eyebrow. 

The Doctor stared at her. She was grinning with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a slight blush on her cheeks. She couldn’t possibly be suggesting what he thought she was suggesting. “Well… normally you would have a control. So what we sleep like on a normal night. Normal levels of exhaustion after a standard amount of sleep the night before, so about 8 hours for you.”

“And Time Lords?” 

“Umm…” He scratched the back of his neck. “It’s been a while since I got the recommended amount. I think Time Lords were supposed to get around 4-6 hours? I’d have to check the book, spent too much time with you lot.”

“You can’t remember how much sleep yourself supposed to get?” Donna stifled a laugh behind her hand. “You prawn!”

“Oh shut up!” He bumped his shoulder against hers.

“Big old brainy genius and you don’t even know how much sleep you’re supposed to have!” She cackled. 

“In my defence, I’ve been around humans now for longer than I was with my own people!” He protested “Anyway!” He shut her up with a scowl. “Once you have your control data, you start to add in variables. Changes in exercise, diets, sleep patterns…”

“Bed buddies.” Donna suggested.

“Exactly!” He agreed with a wave of his hand. “If the nightmares get better when we’re more tired.”

“Or if we share a bed.” Donna finished and he nodded. 

“Yeah.” 

“Ok then.” Donna said and pulled herself to her feet. 

“Wait what?" The Doctor ask his best friend. What exactly was the redhead agreeing to?

“I said ok.” She looked down on him with a smirk. “You have a hypothesis, let’s test it out, Time Boy.”

“You’re serious?" The Doctor stared up at her in shock.

“Well I’m starting to think it’s a bad idea.” Donna rolled her eyes.

“No!” He scrambled to his feet and grabbed onto her arm to steady himself. “No. It’s good. Good. It’s a great idea.”

Donna laughed and pulled him to a sideways hug. “Daft Martian.”

He grinned and kissed her temple. “Only for you Mrs Noble.”

“Oi!”

“Oi!” He shot back with a laugh and headed back towards the Tardis console. 

He took a looked at the beautiful circles of Gallifreyan that spun around the monitor. He traced the letters of his native language with a long finger and sighed. His Tardis was the only place in the universe where the language still existed. The Tardis was still maintaining the Time Lock that Donna had instigated, and for the first time in years the Doctor finally felt a sense of peace. 

He knew that it could only last for a short time. They had no idea what was happening in the outside world. Time could be spinning past them at light speed, the universe could be falling apart without him there to keep on healing the worst of the damage, but inside the Tardis it was just him and Donna. Nothing could get in, no alarms, no messages on the psychic paper, no phone calls. They were completely isolated from the rest of the universe. 

He felt a tickle of the Tardis in the back of his mind. A reassurance that for the time being the universe could look after itself. His wonderful beautiful ship.

They had a respite for now and the Doctor was determined to make the most of it. 

* * *

Donna was lazing on the floor of the console room with her head in the Doctor’s lap. He’d taken to running his hands through her hair. He hadn’t meant to but this life was particularly tactile and full of energy. He still felt disorientated from the lack of movement in the time continuum but Donna helped to keep him grounded. She’d offered to help release the Time Lock she’d placed them in but he’d refused. 

“So why don’t I feel hungry?” She asked thoughtfully as he spun a lock of her hair around his finger.

“Our bodies are locked in time.” He answered softly. “All those tiny chemical reactions that keep our bodies constantly moving, burning energy, regenerating cells. None of that is happening. You’re only breathing out of habit.” 

“You’re pulling my leg.” Donna gaped up at him. He shook his head. “No.”

“Yup.” He grinned. “We could go to the pool and test it out if you’d like?”

“The pool?” She raised both eyebrows at him.

“Yup!”

“You have a pool?” She asked incredulously.

“Course I do. It’s just passed the library.” He grinned. He knew she’d found the library. He’d once found her asleep among piles of books, apparently she’d decided to reorganise the shelves. He’d been tempted to carry her back to her bedroom but she’d looked so peaceful that he hadn’t wanted to risk waking her up. 

“Oh you are on, spaceman!” She launched out of his lap and out the console room. 

Or at least she tried to run out of the console room. 

In actual fact she ran straight into an invisible force field, the edge of the time lock. She rebounded backwards and landed on the floor. The Doctor tried to catch her but he was too slow. 

“What the fork was that?” Donna hissed.

“At a guess I’d say that was the edge of the time lock.” He cautiously poked the air leading out of the console room. It rippled under his hands and for a brief moment he could feel time shudder around him. He inhaled deeply. It was like taking a deep breath of oxygen after relying on his respiratory bypass for too long. 

“That hurt like a….” 

“You won’t feel it once time restarts.” He interjected. 

“So no pool diving?” She asked with a pout. 

“Not without diving gear for you.” He nodded sadly. He’d been looking forward to sitting at the bottom of the pool with Donna. He always found being underwater very relaxing. It reminded him of Vallarasee. The underwater cities were just stunning. He’d have to take Donna there one day. Hopefully she’d find them more interesting than Bal-rimir.

“What about you? Don’t tell me you don’t need to breathe?” She stared at him in disbelief.

“Ok then.” He smirked at her. 

“What?”

“I won’t tell you I don’t need to breathe. Well…. Technically I do but not as much as you. I have a respiratory bypass.” He amended partly for his own safety. He’d didn’t want Donna accidentally putting him in danger because he’d been showing off. 

“Oh and what’s that when it’s at home?” She asked. 

“Two hearts. Essentially, I can store extra oxygen in my lungs for emergencies and then…” He began to explain.

“You know what… forget I asked. Time Lords.” She rolled her eyes. “So are we stuck in the console room?”

“It appears so. Until we release the time lock.” He thought through the other possibilities but that one definitely seemed like the most likely. 

“And then we face the universe once more.” She said with slight disappointment. The Doctor felt his hearts flutter as he realised she was enjoying their time alone on the Tardis as much as he was. 

“Yeah. Back into the big bad universe.” He agreed with a sad smile. He’d always treasure this moment of peace with his Donna. 

* * *

The Doctor was watching Donna inspect the console. Her tongue was stuck out a little bit as she concentrated hard on the buttons, nobs, levers and dials in front of her. It was adorable. They’d both reached a tacit agreement that they would stay locked in time for now. It was a breather that they both sorely needed. Even the Doctor, who hated staying still, could admit that a little down time was probably not the worst idea. 

Donna pointed to one of the dials carefully. “Temporal Stabilisers” 

“Nope.” He pushed himself off the railing and came to stand next to her. He took her hand gently, he moved it on top of the sliders next to the dial. “Temporal Stabilisers, but only when we’re moving forwards in time.” He moved her hand again to a spinning roller ball that he’d patched the Tardis up with a few years back. “and this is for when we’re going back.”

“Blimey I don’t know how you manage to keep track of everything.” Donna scowled at the console. “Of course it helps when you’re psychically linked to the ship. Doesn’t it sweetheart?” She patted the console fondly and the Doctor felt his hearts swell with pride. It always warmed his old soul when he saw his companions interact with his beloved ship. 

“Should I be concerned at how close you two are? You’re not gonna run off into time and space without me are you?” He teased her. “Show me the thrusters.”

Donna raised her eyebrow and smirk. “You should be so lucky, Alien Boy.”

“What?” Then he blushed as he caught up to what he had said. “Oh you know what I meant! Do you want to learn to drive her or not?”

“Temporal thrusters!” Donna leaned over him and tapped on a lever by his right hand side. “Not to be confused with spacial thrusters” She indicated to dial on the other side of the Tardis. 

“Excellent, Donna! Molto bene!” He grinned. 

“And the hand brake!” She patted a button near the middle of the console. “which appears to be locked on.”

“It is not!” He protested. “I’ve had since the Tardis since the 1960s, longer in relative time. I would know if the hand brake was locked on.” 

“Mhmm… You would think, but the Old Girl tells me otherwise, Pookie.” She booped him on the nose and the Doctor felt his mind go static as he tried to comprehend what she had just said. 

“Pookie?” He muttered under his breath so she wouldn’t hear. "The Tardis is lying to you, Sugar Pie.” He said louder and winced as he felt a stab of pain in the back of his mind as his ship protested. 

_Shhh you! I’m the pilot! _He thought firmly at his ship.

_No, you’re my thief! _She sang back in a rare moment of eloquence. She preferred to communicate in feelings and ideas rather than words, even to him, especially when there were others in the Tardis. 

He scowled at the glowing pillar in the centre of control panel. “Shields? Very important to know if the shields are up. Don’t want anything to come crashing into the Tardis, especially not another version of me. That can get messy.”

“Umm… “ Donna leaned over on her toes to reach a switch just passed the Doctor. He stepped back slightly so she could reach over him. “There!” 

“Game over!” He grinned. “That would have activated emergency protocol one!”

“Oh! oh I know this one!” Donna twiddled a lock of hair in her fingers as she thought about it. “That takes me home?” 

“It takes you back to Chiswick, yes" The Doctor amended.

“God forbid! Although I should probably check up on Gramps soon.” Donna chimed a laugh. 

“Whenever you’re ready, love.” He agreed. He liked Wilf. He wouldn’t mind seeing the old soldier again, as long as he could steer clear of Sylvia Noble, he wouldn’t mind. They’d been back to Earth a couple of times since he’d picked Donna up on that fateful Christmas Eve but neither time they’d never quite made it back to Chiswick to see Donna’s family. The Doctor got the feeling that she wasn’t quite ready to face her life back on Earth just yet. 

Donna gave him a puzzled look and then smiled softly at him. “Thanks, Spaceman. Maybe it’s time to release the Tardis.” She said. 

“Yeah?” He pulled the monitor round so he could look at it. He still couldn’t see any anomalies from outside the time lock. As far as his screens were concerned nothing was out there. He wondered how much relative time had passed in the Time Vortex outside of the console room. It would be hard to tell. 

“Yeah. We’ve hidden long enough.” Donna said with a sigh. “And you promise to stop lying to me?”

“Scouts honour.” He saluted at his best friend. 

Donna raised her eyebrow at him. “Do Time Lords have scouts?” 

“Not exactly… but UNIT have me on a payroll so that’s basically the same thing right?” He grinned. 

“I’m serious, Doctor.” Donna said firmly. “If I can’t trust you to be honest with me then how can I trust you to keep me safe?”

“What if lying to you keeps you safe?” He pouted. 

His companions couldn’t always understand why he told them what he did, and why he didn’t always tell them everything. He could be reckless and they would always follow him if they thought he was risking his life, which he did more often than he probably should. He stupidly brave companions always wanted to trade their lives for his and he just couldn’t live with that on his conscience. It would tear him up inside, it had broken him before. The thought of Donna sacrificing everything to save him, it didn’t bear thinking about. He’d almost lost Rose because of it, and in a way she was still lost, to him at least, he would not lose Donna too. 

Donna crossed her arm and shook her head. “Not good enough.”

“But Donna….”

Donna put her finger on his lips and he shut up. “No. I get it. Some things might be too dangerous to tell me, or I won’t understand but that doesn’t mean you have to lie. Just tell me you can’t tell me.” 

“That’s a lot of tell mes…” He mumbled against her finger. 

“Precisely.” She grinned. “Now. Time lock?” She skipped over to the keyboard, her fingers hovered over the keys and she scowled. “I don’t know what I did before.”

“I thought you had help?" The Doctor circled round the Tardis console in the opposite direction that she had taken and rejoined her by the keyboard. 

“Can’t you fix it?” Donna asked. “Isn’t time your thing, Time Lord?”

“Yes… Well… I could fix it. Of course I can.” He muttered looking at the screen.

“But?”

“But it’s not my time lock.” He admitted. 

“And that means?” She asked cautiously.

“That I don’t exactly know what you did. Time lock in a time machine, not a very safe thing to mess with. I can reverse it but….” He trailed off and ran his hands through his hair. It always helped him to think, helped to stimulate the neurological synapses in his brain. “Without knowing exactly what you did… I could throw the console out of sync with the rest of time and space. We might not get back.”

“Well… fudge!” Donna stared at him in shock.

* * *

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Donna whined as she bumped her head against the console wearily. “I feel weird. We’ve not eaten anything in ages! or slept in what feels like… days? How am I not tired?” 

“Your body…”

“Oh yes I know!” She snapped. “You already told me that bit.” 

The Doctor was scanning his monitor with the sonic screwdriver, trying to get a lock on whatever Donna had done to the Tardis, but his device was not having much luck. The reading were all over the place and he was struggling to make sense of it. He groaned in frustration and thumped the top of the monitor. “Come on! You stupid thing!” He scowled.

“Why isn’t she telling me how to fix it like she did before?” Donna grumbled.

“The time lock has weakened the psychic link between us and the Tardis. I can still hear her if I focus or if she wants to be heard but I imagine you can barely sense her now?” He glanced up and across at his companion. His sonic screwdriver spluttered and the blue light went out. “No! no no no!” He flicked the device and held it up to his ear. “No!” He tossed it across the room. 

“I’m sorry! This is all my fault” Donna groaned and thumped her head against the console again.

“Oh Donna, My Donna.” He swiftly spun around the console and wrapped his arms around her. “I should have reversed it sooner, I knew the consequences but I got selfish. I just wanted this moment with you. If we had reversed it immediately you probably still would have been connected to the Tardis.

“What if you talk me through it?” Donna suggested. “It might trigger a memory.”

“A memory…" The Doctor pondered aloud. “A Memory!” He yelled as an idea popped into his head. Donna jumped at his sudden change of volume. 

“Oi!” She yelled back instinctively “Care to share with the class, Time Boy?” 

“I can look into your memories!” He spun around on his heels and grinned at her. “If I can just access the exact moment you linked with the Tardis to create the time lock… I should be able to reverse it! Oh Donna you are brilliant!” He kissed her on the head and ran to the keyboard. “Oh yes!” He shot her a grin.

“Like Peter Streete?” She asked warily.

“Exactly but it’ll be easier because your mind isn’t blocking the memories, there’s no magic or trauma involved.” He waved his hand as he tried to explain and then pulled at his hair. Donna was still looking apprehensive at the idea. “I’ve been in your mind before, Donna.” He reminded her. 

“Not in my memories.” She said quietly. “What if something goes wrong? What if I forgot something? What if I forget you?” 

“I would never let that happen.” He promised. His companions had been forced to forget him before. It was almost worse than death. Yes, he could live in the knowledge they were alive and safe but the way they looked straight past him, all the growth and development they had had whilst they travelled with him just whisked away in an instant. He imagined Donna’s eyes looking at him as if he were a stranger. He shuddered at the thought. He couldn’t let that happen. “I promise.”

“And this will work?”

“It’s the best plan I’ve got.” He shrugged. 

“Ok but don’t go rooting around in there. I got up to some really embarrassing stuff in my teenage years.” She joked but he could tell she was still nervous.

“Oh well… now I have to look.” He teased but her face went pale and he instantly regretted it. “I’m joking!” He put his hands up in defence. “Anything you want hidden just imagine a door. Big red locked door. May I?” He reached out to place his fingers on her temples but paused just before he could make contact.

“I suppose so. I’m putting hazard tape across for good measure though. I know how nosy you are.” She took a deep breath as he made contact with her temples and he felt his psychic nerves hot wire into life as he closed his eyes. It was like a fire had been lit in his brain and sparks instantly flew between them. 

The Time Lords were a very telepathic race. He’d been able to sense their presence through all of time and space before the war, not a close enough bond to communicate with, not without touch, but they were there. Now it was just silence, shattering endless silence. Despite the yearning to feel that connection again, he tried to limit his telepathic connection with humans. Partly because they never quite trusted it, and partly because it was almost impossible to pull away now. 

Donna’s mind was brushing up against his, like it had in the caves. This time she wasn’t forcing thoughts into his mind and he could take his time to explore the corridors of her mind as he searched for the answers he needed. “That’s it, Donna.” He murmured as it began to get easier to move around the less she tried to fight him. 

“It tickles.” She grumbled.

He moved slower through her mind, trying to lessen her discomfort. As he turned around he almost walked straight into a big red door covered with hazard tape. “Oh… that’s a door.” He opened his eyes to check she was ok. She was staring up at him with her big beautiful blue eyes. She was so close that he could see the golden rings around her pupils and little flecks of gold in her irises. It reminded him of the circular Gallifreyan that glowed from the monitor beside him. “You ok?”

“I’m allowed some secrets, Spaceman.” She smirked.

He nodded. She was right, he was curious. He knew her mental defences wouldn’t be strong enough to keep him out if he really wanted to know what was behind the mysterious door but she was relying on him. She was trusting him. He closed his eyes again and forced himself away from the door. He kept searching for the more recent memories, he needed the short term memory ideally. “Can you try and remember what you were feeling?” He murmured quietly. “It will help bring the right memory to the surface.”

He felt her nod under his fingers and he inhaled deeply as he was hit by a wave of anguish and hurt and self-loathing. The emotions she had been feeling when she instigated the time lock. He saw his own face through her eyes. He was watching Donna as she inspected the console but he had a far off look in his eyes, even though he was looking right at her he couldn’t see her. Donna knew this. He looked… sad?

This must have been when he’d been thinking about Rose, trying to reconcile his feelings for Donna in comparison to his feelings for Rose. He looked old, not in his body but in his eyes. He was never quite prepared to see how old his eyes looked these days. It was the one thing that stayed the same between regenerations. At least his hair looked good. 

“Penny for them?” Past Donna asked him and he winced as Past him completely shut off. The sadness was hidden by a wall. His face became a blank mask and Donna’s pain seared through him. 

“Oh it’s nothing." The Doctor in Donna’s mind shrugged haphazardly and pushed off the pillar he was leaning on and strolled towards her as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Donna felt worthless, she was bad friend, she wasn’t good enough for him…

“That’s enough, spaceman.” Donna’s hand came up to cup him face and he blinked his eyes open to see her gazing up at him. He was almost overwhelmed by the urge to kiss her but through some miracle he managed to restrain himself. He just hope he hadn’t projected the feeling back into Donna’s mind. She showed no sign of hearing that thought so he hoped that he’d gotten away it. “Just get what you need for the time lock and get out” 

“Sorry.” He mumbled and dove back into the memory. Donna heard the Tardis singing in her head, trying to ease her anguish, and there was an idea planted. An idea to stop him from running away from her, from his own feelings. A chance to pause the tape and face his feelings. 

The time lock. 

He saw Donna’s fingers dancing over the keyboard in front of the monitors, with speed that only a super temp could have, well… for a human at least. His Time Lord mind was able to track the movements easily as Donna’s fingers were guided by the Tardis in her head.

The Tardis lurched and time stopped around them. 

He pulled his fingers away from Donna’s temple, breaking the mental connection as gently as he could. His mind instantly mourned the loss of another mind brushing up so close to his, especially a mind belonging to someone he truly cared about. “Got it!” He grinned and spun to face the monitor. His fingers flew over the keys, just like Donna’s had in his mind. 

Donna laughed and grabbed his arm as she watch him work. “About time!” 

“Allons-y!” He yelled into the air as he slammed the enter key down. The Tardis lurched again and he felt the universe spin around him. Time washed over his senses and he was finally able to count every second pass, and he could feel the rush of the vortex around the Tardis. He breathed it in like a man who had been starved of oxygen. “I did it!” He breathed in relief. “I did it!” He shouted louder and picked Donna up in a flying hug. 

She shrieked and wrapped her hands around his neck. “Doctor!”

“Ooh I wonder how much time has passed in the rest of the Tardis!” He grinned as he put his friend back down. He grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the console room. “Come on!”

“Where are we going?” She panted as they ran through the corridors of the Tardis. 

“I have a clock in my bedroom. It’s modified to not be affected by the time vortex. It counts relative time within the Tardis so my companions can keep track of how long they are with me and birthdays…” He explained in a rush. “So we should be able to see how long the console room was stuck in a time lock.”

“How come we were able to move and stuff inside the time lock?” Donna asked him as they ran through the corridors. He glared up at the ceiling. His room wasn’t always this far away from the console room, the Tardis was obviously angry with him.

“Umm…” He paused as he tried to figure out a way to explain it to a human mind. “Physically we didn’t move at all. Living things aren’t designed to exist out of time, not even the Time Lords.”

“But we were in a different place at the end of the time lock?” She insisted. “We moved!”

“Yeah but you had barely moved by the end, in comparison I was able to move across the room.” He slowed his run to a walk, the Tardis was playing games with them. There was no point in charging around if she wasn’t going to let him find his room any faster.

“But I remember it all?” Donna wrinkled her nose in confusion as she tried to figure it out. It was adorable. 

“Yeah…” He scratched the back of his neck. Blimey humans were so tiny at times. “It’s more… your brains way of coping and processing the lack of time?” He tilted his head. That was a very dumb down explanation but it was probably the simplest way to explain.

“So all that was all in our heads?” Donna asked. “Like a dream?”

“Yeah. No. Maybe. Well.. close enough.” He reluctantly agreed.

“A shared dream?” Donna pressed with a raised eyebrow.

“Something like that yeah. I suppose so.” 

“So how come you needed to go all Professor X on me to get us out of the time lock?” Donna prodded him in the chest. “Couldn’t you just see it?”

“No. No no. If it was that simple I would have done it. We were only able to share the present. I needed to look at the past. Different rules.” He rubbed his face. God this was primary school stuff for Time Lords. What did they teach humans these days?

“Oh don’t look at me like that, Martian. I’m not an idiot!” She glared at him. The Doctor looked at his friend wide-eyed. Oh Rassilon he had done it again, insulted his brilliant Bella Donna, but she just laughed at him. “I know. It’s not just me. It’s humans and their tiny brains.”

“Oh but you’re brilliant.” He protested. “Especially you Donna. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d have to make your own tea!” She teased.

“Don’t be so cruel.” He laughed and he grinned as he noticed his door, with his name inscribed in circular Gallifreyan, standing before them. “aha! Here we are!” 

“What’s that say then? Keep Out?” Donna traced her fingers over the letters and he felt a shiver go down his spine. 

“No.” He whispered breathlessly. “That’s my name.”

"The Doctor?” She asked as she continued to trace the letters. He caught her hand to stop the movements. Even though she couldn’t read the alien alphabet it felt far too intimate for her to be so close to part of his soul. 

“No.” He admitted. “Not the Doctor. My real name. There’s no one else alive that knows it now.” He mused thoughtfully. 

The only people that had known it were his parents and his childhood friends from the Academy. Adult Time Lords did not refer to each other by names it was highly inappropriate and considered to be the greatest disrespect. They preferred to use their chosen titles, such as the Doctor or the Corsair or the Master. Only spouses were permitted to use a Time Lord’s true name. Eventually only a Time Lord’s spouse would remember the name. It was a very intimate tradition. A name held power, the Carrionites were right about that and the Time Lord’s respected that power to the utmost degree. Even the Doctor respected that particular aspect of Time Lord etiquette and he wasn’t exactly known to be the most proper of Time Lords, but now his name was all he had left. He would honour his people by following this last tradition in the only way he could. His name would remain hidden until the day he chose a life partner and he had decided a very long time ago that that life really wasn’t for him. His first wife had died not knowing his name, it had been a marriage of convenience to please his parents, and every other alien bride he’d had since had never known the significance. 

“It’s umm… well it’s a Time Lord tradition. Long story.” He ran his hands through his hair.

Donna frowned and linked their fingers together. “Thank you for telling me.” She said quietly. “So magic time clock?” 

“Right. Through here.” He nodded and together they pushed open the door. 

* * *

Almost two years had passed in the time vortex whilst they were stuck in the time lock. The Doctor frowned as he adjusted the settings on his sonic screwdriver. He was in his workshop trying to fix his clock so it ignored the last two years of relative time. It would be difficult to keep track of the days if he constantly had to subtract the time they’d spent locked away and he did not want to miss Donna’s birthday. He wanted to take her somewhere spectacular for her birthday. Perhaps Midnight with its beautiful spas and anti-gravity restaurants. He might even be able to convince her to go on the shuttle to see the sapphire waterfalls together. They were supposed to be beautiful. 

Or maybe he could show her the Gallifrey room on the Tardis. It wasn’t the real thing but it was the closest thing to home that he had left. It had a few native plants and insects from his home planet, but mostly it was projections and clever Time Lord tricks that created the illusion of his home planet and the burning orange sky.

He’d never shown a companion that before. 

He sighed and hit the clock in his hands. “Come on!” 

“Didn’t you make that?” Donna asked from the doorway with two steaming mugs of what smelled like tea in her hands. 

“I improved it!” He amended. 

“But you can’t fix it?” Donna smirked.

“I can!” He protested pointing his screwdriver at her.

“Oi! Watch where you pointing that thing! I don’t want tea all over me, Sunshine!” She teased as she passed him his ‘I’m a Doctor’ mug. “If you can fix it…. why is it still saying we’ve been here for two years?” 

“It’s just taking some time. It’s very complicated timey wimey stuff!” He waved her away as he took a sip of his tea. “Blimey that’s good. How do you always make it so much better than me?”

“It needs a human touch.” She winked and sat on his workbench to watch him fiddle with the clock. After a couple more minutes of silence, except the sound of the sonic screwdriver buzzing in his hands. Donna let out a loud sigh and grabbed the clock from his hands. “Oh give it here, Spaceman.” 

The Doctor watched in wonder as Donna examined his special relative time clock. She nodded to herself and then pushed a couple of the buttons in sequence. “Donna, what are you…?”

“Shh!” She waved her hand in his direction and continued to click one of the buttons. “How many days am I subtracting?”

“Umm…” He looked at the clock and did a quick calculation. “703 days, 16 hours, 43 minutes and… 36 seconds.” 

“Right… that should be done. Give or take a few seconds.” Donna passed back the clock. It was two seconds too slow but that didn’t matter. 

He gaped at Donna in shock. “How?”

“Mum can never work out how to adjust the clocks when they go back. I have to sort out the car, the oven, the microwave oh and her mobile. It’s easy really.” Donna sipped her tea with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You’re just a big dumbo.”

“Oh Donna Noble I bloody love you.” He grinned. “You are brilliant!”

“Oh stop it, Spaceman.”

“No you are!” He insisted. “Molto Bene!” He exclaimed excitedly. 

She rolled her eyes at him “Molto Bene.” She agreed.

* * *

Donna was in the library according to the Tardis. The Doctor rubbed his eyes wearily and made his way down the corridor from his bedroom, hoping the Old Girl would be nice and put the room closer to his bedroom. He’d changed into his old flannel pyjamas after they’d eaten dinner. It had almost been a relief when they started to get tired and hungry after so long stuck in the time lock. 

It had been a just over a month since they’d dropped off Martha in front of her house and he hadn’t managed to sleep properly since the few hours he’d caught in the tavern. Every time he closed his eyes since he’d been pulled awake by nightmares. 

He saw the faces of his companions all screaming at him, begging him to help them but they were always just out of reach. Just as he managed to brush the tips of their fingers their faces morphed into Rose. It was always Rose and then she fell into the void. No Pete there to save her in his dreams. His beautiful Rose just fell away into the darkness, screaming, tears streaming down her face. 

He saw the monsters and aliens he’d fought over the years. The choices he gave them. He begged them all to leave him alone so he didn’t have to hurt them but they kept coming, closer and closer, threatening all of those he ever loved. He had no choice. He had to stop them. He had to kill them. They all died cursing his name, his real name. 

He saw Gallifrey. 

It burned brightly and the glass around the citadel cracked as city fell to dust. Civilian Gallifreyans were running for their lives but he couldn’t save them. He couldn’t save them because they were running from him. He was the monster. He caused this. A pane of glass fell down in front of his face and his reflection was a hideous demon, satan himself.

And every night he woke up screaming, gasping for breath. 

Over the years he’d gotten used to the nightmares and developed ways to run from them. Mostly through putting off sleep and constantly running for his life. The adrenaline did wonders for his exhaustion levels. But ever since the tavern with Donna by his side he’d been craving sleep, a proper good night’s sleep. He’d tried every night when Donna had said her good byes for the evening, and every night he’d woken up screaming. He’d tried again tonight. He had thought that the time lock might have been enough to knock him out but alas it hadn’t done a damn thing. 

He was about to give up and get dressed when he remembered their conversation in the time lock, the experiment. Donna had agreed to test his hypothesis that she helped his nightmares. So he’d knocked on her door only to find she wasn’t in her room. The Tardis had helpfully informed him that she was in the library so he was off to find his friend. Hopefully she would agree to start their experiment a little earlier than she might have expected. 

He took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair as he reached the library door. He knocked gently and then pushed the door open. Donna was lying in front of the fire place, her hair glowing in the firelight. There were books strewed all around her from her attempts to help organise the great library. He smiled softly, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest as she slept on the fluffy rug in front of the fire, and then quietly walked over to her. 

He couldn’t help himself and kissed her forehead before gently shaking her awake. “Donna, love.” She groaned and tried to swat him away but he was used to this by now. He’d woken her up enough times to know her routine. He stepped backwards just in time to avoid her flailing limbs. 

“s’too early.” She slurred sleepily. “piss off alien…”

“Come on, Donna. You can’t sleep here.” He stroked her hair gently trying to coax her awake enough to get her to a bed. Preferably his. For sleeping purposes only of course! He was a gentleman, well… he could be and he knew they were both too tired to really agree to anything more. 

“Watch me.” She grumbled, slightly more alive than before. 

“Donna, your mum’s here.” He teased, knowing she was too tired to realise he was joking. It worked.

Donna bolted upright, her hair a mess with an imprint of the rug on her cheek. “You what?!” She snapped then hit him on the arm. “Don't joke about that, spaceman! She’d have a fit if she saw the Tardis. Christ!”

“Morning, Pumpkin!” He grinned. 

“It’s not bloody morning, Sunshine!” She glared. “You’re having me on?”

He thought about trying to convince her it really was the morning but that really wouldn’t help him with what he wanted to achieve. He shrugged. “Nah. It’s late. I thought you might prefer a bed to the rug.”

“Quite right.” Donna agreed. “My back will thank you for that. Come on then.” She wearily hauled herself off the carpet. He stood up with her and she took his hand. “Lead the way.”

The Doctor looked down at her. Did she mean? Had she read his mind? He quickly tested his mental defences. They were still up. 

_Did you tell her? _He asked the Tardis, he got a negative response back from his ship. 

“You’re in your pyjamas, you’ve clearly tried to sleep. I remember the time lock just as well as you, you prawn.” She answered his unspoken question. “Your bed is bigger so I vote your room, and no funny business!” She shot him a firm look. 

“Yes, Ma’am.” He grinned and they walked hand in hand towards his bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's ignore the fact the science makes no sense in this chapter shall we? Good. Excellent. But honestly is it really Doctor Who unless we have some stupid science? So this is the first real look at the Doctor's POV. Originally the whole fic was going to be from the POV of the humans but this chapter came along at it made sense to be backwards. You'll see more of his POV from this point onwards, but yeah. 
> 
> (Sorry this was late... Christmas and stuff. I may drop down to every other week until I've finished my draft but I'll try to get back to Saturday's) 
> 
> Let me know what you think though! Another original chapter after this one and then we're picking Martha back up :D


	8. A Night to Remember

The Doctor was seething. He’d been in a sulk ever since they had left Manhattan. He’d retreated back to his own bedroom and he clearly wasn’t sleeping well at all. He was looking paler everyday, his hair was flopping limply in front of his face and he had dark circles under his eyes. If Donna was being truly honest she’d say he looked like crap. He’d taken the destruction of the Dalek/Human hybrid terribly. He was a broken man.

Those pepper pot creature were apparently the creatures that the Time Lords were fighting in the war that destroy his home, and no matter how hard he tried to destroy them, they kept coming back. Even with all that he’d been distraught to see the new hybrid species wiped out. For a beautiful shining moment Time Lord and Dalek had been working together. 

Donna had tried to help her friend but he’d blocked her out. Just when she’d finally managed to get him to open up to her, the stupid Daleks had ruined everything. They hadn’t been on any adventures since Manhattan and he’d barely said a word to her. She’d made him a cup of tea every morning in his favourite mug but most days it had remained completely untouched and she’d had to pour the cold brown liquid down the sink. 

Even the Tardis sang a melancholy song in the back of her mind.

Donna was going insane. She desperately wanted to help her friend. She’d tried her Nan’s banana bread recipe, she’d tried putting on The Lion King in the big TV room, she’d tried giving him space, retreating back into the library whilst he skulked around his workshop. She’d suggested a trip to a brand new alien planet, one she’d found in an encyclopaedia on the dusty old shelves in the library. Nothing was working. She would normally pull him into a hug but he hadn’t even wanted to hold hands recently so she had restrained herself. 

She tried to understand. She really did. The Daleks had terrified her. She now had a brand new nightmare to add to her growing collection, the blinding flashing light, the way the body turned into a skeleton before collapsing dead on the floor, the voice. She shuddered. It was that voice that really haunted her, and on judging his reaction when he heard it, it was the voice that haunted him too. From what she could tell, it had been the Daleks, and something called the Cybermen, that had been fighting at Canary Wharf. The battle which had claimed Rose as its victim. She wondered if she’d ever not be able to compare herself to his lost friend. She wondered if he would ever stop comparing them too. The girl had this hold over him that seemed impossible to break. It was heartbreaking. She just wanted him to be happy.

Try as she might she couldn’t quite process the grief the Doctor was feeling. It was beyond her comprehension, and, selfishly, she was getting bored. The Tardis was wonderful. It was home but even with all its beautiful rooms, many of which she had now had more time to explore. She hadn’t been outside the blue box for almost a week and she was going a little stir crazy. Of course, that also made her feel incredibly guilty. She should be able to cope with the Doctor taking a moment of downtime to process his grief. It just wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t thrown all his walls back up so harshly. 

She watched the mad alien as he stared into the glowing pillar of the engine. His eyes never quite focussing on the movements of the strange glass column. It was so sad, so haunting. Donna couldn’t handle it anymore. She had to get out. She had to breathe. 

“Doctor.” She called to her friend softly. His sad brown eyes flitted up to meet her gaze but he offered no response. “I was thinking…” She paused to make sure she chose her next words extremely carefully. She didn’t want him to think she was leaving him, or even worse for him to dump her and go flying off never to see her again. “Perhaps I could go visit Gramps.”

“You want to leave?” He asked quietly, his eyes turning dark and stormy in an instant. “Not enough adventure for you. What? Did you get bored?” 

Donna felt every cell of her body try and snap back at the Doctor but she knew he was hurting. Now wasn’t the time to fight back. She let the words wash over her as she took a deep breath. “You’re hurting.” She said softly. “What happened in New York was…” She couldn’t think of the right word. Nothing seemed grand enough to sum up the events of Manhattan. “It was terrible.” She settled.

“Scared you off then? The Daleks have that effect on people.” He muttered bitterly.

“No.” Donna snapped back with her glare, God he was being a complete nob. She was beginning to lose her patience. “Now listen here, Time Lord!” He glared fiercely at her but didn’t interrupt. “I am going to talk, and you are going to listen! Capiche?”

“Yes dear” He mumbled still glaring at her.

“You need time or space or whatever, and maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m bored of staying in the Tardis.” She said firmly, he winced but she ignored him. “I’ve tried to help you but you seemed determined to push away any kind of help or comfort. So you are going to take me home, mister.”

“Fine.” He spat and jumped to his feet to start the journey but Donna pushed him back into his seat. 

“Not forever! I just want to see my family and I can’t watch you self destruct like this. It’s killing me.” She put her hand on his cheek and silently begged him to understand. To her surprise his eyes actually went wide and he leaned into her touch. Her Doctor was finally starting to break through the cold mask he’d been wearing for the last week. “But if you don’t want me to go, I can stay.” She breathed quietly as if she might scare him off if she spoke too loud.

“No. You’re right.” He covered her hand with his own and then pulled it down to his lips. Her breath stilled in her chest as he pressed a kiss to her fingers. “I’ve not been myself. I still need time.”

“I can stay.” She insisted. 

“No, that’s not fair. Go see your family. I’ll pick you up when I’m ready.” He whispered. 

“Don’t do anything stupid whilst I’m gone.” She teased gently.

He laughed sadly. “Would I ever?” 

“Yes!” She chided. “No adventures without me. You promise?” She insisted. If he went off on another adventure like this then it would not end well, she knew him well enough to realise that. 

“Cross my hearts.” He smiled softly and kissed her forehead. Donna sighed in relief. He would be ok. For the first time in days she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. 

“Take me home then, Spaceman.” She said quietly and kissed his cheek as she let go. 

* * *

Donna was sat in the tiny kitchen of her mum’s house slowly losing the will to live. Sylvia Noble was doing what she did best and making Donna feel like she was the size of an ant. It was all “Why don’t you have any pictures of your travels?” and “I knew it wouldn’t last!” and “Why can’t you just get a stable job and a proper man?”. It was enough to make Donna want to tear her hair out. Why had she ever thought this was a good idea?

She sipped her peppermint tea and rolled her eyes, smiling at her dad when she caught his eyes. Donna was worried about him. He was losing weight and he had a horrible gaunt look on his face. Something was very wrong but neither of her parents would admit to it. She desperately wished she could call the Doctor but she knew he needed space. It wouldn’t do to ring him before he was ready to come back to her. 

“I’m just saying! It’s extremely rude of that man to drop you off without even saying hello.” Her mum said as she flitted around the kitchen putting the groceries away. “Are you even sure he’s coming back?”

“Yes!” Donna snapped. She didn’t need to start doubting that, of course the thought had crossed her mind a few times but she continued to banish it. She kept hold of her memory of the Doctor’s face just before he’d dropped her off. The constant kisses to her hair and forehead. The feel of his hand in hers. He was her best friend and she had faith he would come back. “Yes.” She repeated more quietly. “I’m sure.”

“He’s been good for you, sweetheart.” He dad said weakly earning himself a glare from her mother. 

“Geoffrey!” She chided. “He swept her up, ruined her wedding and dumped her back on our doorstep. He’s been nothing but trouble. Nothing!” 

“But Sylvie, love. Can’t you see how much brighter she’s shining?” Her dad insisted and Donna flashed him a grateful smile. It was good to know he was on her side. 

“Thanks, Dad.” She mumbled and then stood up, kicking the chair out from behind her. “I’m gonna go see Gramps.” She decided. He’d understand. “I’ll take more photos when I can.” She added to her mum, hopefully that would help shut her up. 

“Too right you will!” Sylvia called after her as he put on her jacket and made her way out the house. 

It was cold outside and the stars were twinkling in the darkness. It felt strange to be looking up at them from Earth. How many of those stars had she seen from the other side of the universe? She plodded slowly up the hill and pulled her coat tighter around her. It was one of the few coats she’d left in her bedroom and was not meant for the cold weather. She thought fondly of the Doctor’s long brown coat and how many times she’d ended up wearing it over the last four and a half months but that was currently half way across the universe with her best friend. She shivered and continued up the hill towards her gramps’s favourite spot. It was far enough away from the house that Sylvia would not bother them, and a little bit away from all the light pollution so on a clear night he could see more stars. 

She grinned and hugged her arms closer to her chest when she spotted him sitting in his little chair, his telescope pointing up at the sky. “Permission to board ship, sir?” She saluted the old man as she drew closer. 

Gramps turned to face her with a laugh. It was their traditional greeting up on the hill and a tradition she took very seriously. “Permission granted.” He saluted back. “She nagging you?”

“Oh, big time.” Donna rolled her eyes. She didn’t know what she would do without her grandad. He was her guiding light. “You see anything?” She asked hopefully. 

He’d promised to keep an eye out for the Doctor in his little blue box. She knew it was pointless, he’d probably just materialise in their back garden or somewhere nearby. It was unlikely he’d fly through space in front of the telescope, the Tardis wasn’t too fond of spacial travel. She preferred to travel in the vortex as Donna had learnt on her very first adventure. The machine had caught fire and she’d been stranded on the rooftop with the Doctor. 

“No. Nothing yet. He’ll be here soon, sweetheart. It’s only been a few days.” Gramps offered her a reassuring smile. She plopped down on the grass next to him and rested her head against his arm.

“I know.” She sighed. “But what if he forgets me?” She asked quietly. She tried not to think about it. She really did but sometimes the thought just wouldn’t leave her alone. Her mum’s taunts really didn’t help the matter either.

“Forget our Donna?” Her gramps laughed loudly. “I don’t think anyone has ever forgotten you, love. You shout too much.” 

“Oi!” She teased him. “I only shout when I need to be heard.”

“I know, sweetheart.” He patted her shoulder. “Tell me about the aliens again!” He laughed. 

Donna rolled her eyes. She had already told him all about her travels with the Doctor. From the charity funded evacuation of humans out into the stars, to Pompeii and The Judoon on the Moon, and Shakespeare and the Carrionites. She’d told him the lighter version of the Daleks, trying to make them less terrifying but she did admit that that was the adventure that had affected her Time Lord so badly. She’d omitted to tell him about the time lock, he didn’t need to know she’d accidentally gotten them stuck in the time vortex for just under two years. Plus, apart from the Doctor, there weren’t any aliens in that one. 

“You’ve already heard it all!” Donna exclaimed. 

“I wanna hear it again!” He insisted like a child at bedtime who just wanted to hear one more story. “My Donna, out in the stars.” He sighed happily. “Well done, sweetheart.”

“Oh stop it. I just got lucky. Lance did me a favour dosing me up with all the Huon particles.” Donna laughed. “I’d have never met the Doctor otherwise. I can’t even remember my life before him. It all seems like a blur. Another life.” 

“He wouldn’t have taken you with him if you weren’t so special, Donna. That’s more than luck!” The old man beamed down at her. It was an argument they’d had before and Wilf always won. No one believed in Donna more than Wilfred Mott, except perhaps a strange mad man in a blue box. 

Donna was about to launch into a story about the Macra in New New York when her phone started to ring. She froze for a second and stared at her gramps before rummaging though her pockets for her mobile. 

The Doctor!

But her heart sank when she read the caller ID. It wasn’t the Time Lord, or even Martha. 

It was bloody Nerys. 

She scowled at the phone, contemplating letting it ring out but she knew Nerys would just keep ringing until she picked up. “Nerys! Hi!” She rolled her eyes and Gramps scowled, gesturing for her to hang up the phone. 

“I can’t.” She mouthed at him. 

“Donna! Your mum told my mum you were back! How come you never said anything?” Nerys trilled in her ear. “Oh never mind! We know now! How have you been? Last thing we heard, you went travelling with that handsome doctor friend of yours! Ooh he was fine. How did you manage it? And on your wedding day of all days!” 

Donna raised an eyebrow and held the phone away from her ear. She wondered briefly how long Nerys could carry on before realising that Donna hadn’t answered any of her questions. Her gramps stifled a laugh behind his hands. 

“You are such a tramp! None of us could believe it. Poor Lance! Did you hear that he died under the Thames? Some funny looking military men came round the house and told his mum. On Christmas day too! So tragic.”

“Hmm…” Donna agreed. “Yeah. I was there.” She admitted. Nerys shrieked in her ear and Donna winced. 

“No! Way! You were there?! Oh Donna! I’m so sorry! Was it awful?!” Nerys cried.

“What do you think?” Donna snapped into the phone. “It’s not just some Thursday night gossip, Nerys! A man died. Have some respect.” 

Donna had come to terms with Lance’s death and with the Doctor’s helped she’d managed to mend her broken heart. The knowledge that he’d never loved her and had been using her the whole time helped. She wasn’t ready to jump into a romantic relationship any time soon, despite the ever growing feelings she had for the Doctor, but she was healing and Lance’s death no longer haunted her the way it had at the beginning. She still felt guilty on some days but she tried to remember the Doctor’s words when she’d told him about it. Still that didn’t mean she wanted to relive the whole thing to satisfy Nerys’s endless need for gossip. 

“I just can’t believe he’s gone.” Nerys sobbed and Donna rolled her eyes. She’d noticed the way the pair of them had been dancing at her reception without her. She wasn’t blind or stupid.

“Geez Nerys. One might think _you_ were engaged to him.” Donna drawled into the phone. She wondered if the other girl would notice if Donna hung up on her. 

“Donna!” She gasped. “I would never! Oh never mind all that. The girls and I were wondering if you wanted to come to the pub tonight?”

“Umm…” Donna scowled at the sudden change of subject. 

“Oh come on Don! Whilst you’re in town. It’s been ages since we all caught up properly!” Nerys insisted. 

“Sure.” Donna sighed. With any luck the Doctor would arrive beforehand and she wouldn’t have to go. “Why not?” 

“Awesome! Usual pub. See you soon girl!” Nerys chimed and hung up. 

Donna stared at her phone and cursed. That was one benefit of being away from the Tardis. She could swear properly again. Praise the lord! “Bloody Martian better hurry up.” She muttered and tossed the phone down on the grass. “Unless… No.”

“What is it, sweetheart?” Her gramps asked.

“It would be very clever… might not work.” Donna murmured under her breath. She picked up the phone and dialled the Tardis’s console phone. He didn’t pick up but that was ok. She wasn’t expecting him to. “Hi Spaceman. It’s me. Donna. You probably already knew that. Pretty sure this phone never rings. I need a favour. I know you’re not ready but if you could do some wonderful timey wimey stuff and pick me up at…” She paused. “What date is it?” She asked Gramps and then repeated it back into the phone. “I’ll explain when you get here.” She was about to hang up when a thought hit her. “Oh and I made banana loaf before you dropped me off. It should still be fresh. Make sure you eat something!” 

She would have said more but the answer phone cut her off. 

“Do you think that’ll work?” Gramps asked her but before Donna could answer she heard the telltale sound of the Tardis materialising and her hair began to whip around her face. Wilf shielded his eyes with his hands and watched as the Tardis faded into view. 

Donna’s heart leapt in her chest and she scrambled to her feet just as the door flung open. “Did someone call for the Doctor?" The Doctor said cheerily. He looked a lot better than he had when she left. The dark circles were still there but at least his suit looked clean and he’d obviously taken some time to style his hair. 

“Spaceman!” Donna cried and ran to hug her friend. He opened his arms and picked her up just as she reached him. 

“Bella Donna!” He murmured into her hair. “Oh I missed you.”

“Is this it?” Wilf said excitedly. "The Tardis?”

“Oh Hello again, Wilf." The Doctor put her back down and smiled sheepishly at her gramps. “Yup. This is her. My ship. Did you want a look?” 

“Oh can I?” Her gramps clasped his hands together and stumbled to his feet. 

“Go on. I won’t tell Sylvia if you won’t." The Doctor winked at the old man and all three of them walked back into the Tardis. The Old Girl welcomed Donna gleefully and Donna trailed her fingers along the railings.

“Hey girl.” She whispered. “I missed you too.” 

“Cor! Blimey!” Gramps cried as he entered the small wooden box. “It’s bigger on the inside! It’s really bigger on the inside! Oh Donna this is… this is… Blimey!” 

The Doctor and Donna laughed at Wilf’s sheer amazement as the Doctor took her hand. She was starting to see why he’d been so amused by Martha’s reaction. It was funny to see people’s reactions to the miracle ship. The Tardis giggled happily and Donna noticed the lights begin to glow brighter. 

“I think she likes you Wilfred Mott." The Doctor beamed. “What is it about your family Donna? You’ve got my old ship completely wrapped around your little finger.”

“It’s the old Mott/Noble charm.” Donna shrugged and squeezed his hand. She’d really missed him. It had only been a couple of days for her but she had a feeling it had been a lot longer for him. 

“Come on then. I guess I should probably say hi before we leave." The Doctor scowled at ran his hand through his hair. “I left pretty quickly before.”

“Do we have to?” Donna whined. 

“Donna’s been invited out with her friends.” Her gramps said and Donna glared at him. The traitor.

“Ooh lovely!" The Doctor grinned. “You invited me back for a party!” 

“You don’t like parties.” Donna raised an eyebrow. The Doctor had never shown any inclination for something so mundane as a human party. “And it’s just drinks with the girls.”

“Brilliant! Let’s go!” He pulled her out of the Tardis and Wilf ran after them pulling the door shut. 

“No no no! This is the exact opposite of why I called you?!” Donna protested. 

The Doctor dug his heels in and they slammed to a stop. “You don’t want to see your friends?” He pouted.

“You’re my best friend, and you hate Nerys.” Donna pointed out. 

“True.” He admitted. “on both counts.”

“So Tardis?” Donna asked hopefully. “We’ve said hi to Gramps. That’s the main thing!” 

“No. You can’t forget your friends, Donna." The Doctor scowled. “If something happens to me.”

“It won’t!” Donna insisted. “I wouldn’t let anything happen.”

“If something happens. You need to have your life back home intact." The Doctor ignored her protests. “Come on. It’ll be fun. I’ll protect you?” He gave her his best puppy eyes and Donna felt her resolve crumble. 

“Ah! Fine! We’ll go.” Donna pouted. “I blame you for this!” Donna pointed at her gramps who was back in his chair on the hill. 

“Have a good time, sweetheart! Look after her Doctor!” He called after them as they marched back towards the house. 

“I always do!" The Doctor called back.

* * *

Donna was being petty. She knew she was being petty and she was probably ruining everything. She had missed her friend desperately but here she was refusing to talk to him in the passenger seat of her mum’s car. She’d refused to drive in the hope that he would finally agree to go back to the Tardis but whatever had happened in their time apart had turned him into a right stubborn git, and one that actually wanted to do human things! She wondered what on Earth had gotten into him. At least his car driving skills weren’t as bad as his Tardis driving skills. Maybe he’d actually passed his driving test for this vehicle.

“I really did miss you, you know?" The Doctor broke the tense silence as he pulled into the car park. "The Tardis was so quiet with you gone.”

“She likes me best.” Donna quipped. She knew how precious the Doctor was about his relationship with his ship.

“I think you might be right.” He laughed. “But I didn’t mean like that.”

“I know what you meant.” Donna glared at him as he pulled up the handbrake. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.” She went to pull on the door handle but the Doctor caught her hand.

“We can go if you really don’t want to do this." The Doctor said with a sad look in his eyes. “I don’t want you to be angry with me.”

Donna looked at him, searching for answers in those soft warm hazel eyes of his and sighed. “I’m not angry with you.” She admitted. “I missed you, a lot, and it was only a couple of days.” 

“About a week." The Doctor admitted. “I was being a bit of a prat wasn’t I?”

Donna laughed. “A bit. But I get it. I’m being one now.”

The Doctor joined in with her laughter. “Yeah. Why don’t you want to go?” 

“The last time I saw them was at my disaster of a wedding. They didn’t even care enough to stop the reception.” Donna answered quietly quickly wiping her eyes to get rid of the tears that threatened to fall. the Doctor didn’t say anything. He just pulled her into an awkward sideways hug. The handbrake dug into her hip but it didn’t matter. He was back. He hadn’t left to run off into the stars without her. “They only invited me to laugh.” Donna sighed.

“Well then let’s show them just how brilliant you are.” He suggested with a cheeky grin. 

Donna pulled back to look at him suspiciously. She narrowed her eyes at him. “What exactly were you thinking?”

* * *

This was a stupid idea. Donna had no idea why she had agreed to it. It was better when the Doctor had no plan, which let’s be honest is most of the time. This was worse than volunteering to go down the sewers in Manhattan, it was worse than trying to fight the Pyroville with a water pistol, at least that was semi successful, it was worse than jumping carriage to carriage in a highly toxic death motorway with killer crabs at the bottom. This was honestly the worst plan he’d had in the entire time she known him, and he’d had some truly terrible plans. 

“Donna!” Nerys waved at her frantically. Her friend was completely dolled up and her hair was impossible even blonder than the last time they’d seen each other, although her roots were coming through badly. Donna tried to remember why she always felt so jealous of her friend. She was not half as attractive as she remembered. “Oh and you brought the handsome doctor friend!” 

The Doctor’s hand was in the small of her back. He’d refused to change out of his pinstripe suit but at least he’d agreed to wear the blue one so it wasn’t exactly the same outfit as the wedding. Donna had reluctantly put the bio-damp ring on a gold chain to wear around her neck. The Doctor had pointed out it would probably give off the wrong impression if she kept wearing it on her ring finger and this time they weren’t aiming to give off the married vibe. Tonight he was simply her boyfriend.

Donna was starting to wonder how they always ended up pretending to be in relationships, and come to think of it, how often it was the Doctor’s idea. She’d have to quiz him on that later. It was probably a strange coincidence, he probably hadn’t even realised. She was reading into things too much. Just because your best friend keeps orchestrating a fake dating scenario it doesn’t mean he fancies you, no matter how handsome he is or how much he makes you laugh or how much you wanted it to be real. Donna took a deep breath and tried to stop her thoughts. They were leading down a dangerous path.

“Hey girls!” Donna plastered a fake smile on her face and waved to the group. “Sorry we’re late. You remember the Doctor?” She snuggled closer to his chest and smiled sweetly up at him.

“John Smith, Hi, but that’s boring so most of my friends call me the Doctor." The Doctor explained with a dazzling smile.

“John, darling, you remember Nerys? And that’s Veena and Charlie.” Donna introduced him to the girls and he gave a little wave. “Sorry to invite him last minute. His business arrangement finished earlier than expected but I just couldn’t disappoint you.”

Nerys, Veena and Charlie looked between Donna and the Doctor in shock, clearly trying to work out what the deal was between them. None of them could believe that such a handsome young man would settle for Donna. Donna didn’t blame them either but then again it wasn’t actually real so they weren’t exactly wrong. 

“I thought I’d surprise her but that kind of backfired when she told me she had plans." The Doctor kissed her hair, like he so often did. “I hope you don’t mind me tagging along.”

“Oh no! Not at all.” Nerys simpered and batted her eyelids at the Doctor in a ridiculously obvious attempt to flirt with him. Typical Nerys, always wanting something that didn’t belong to her. “It’ll be great to get to know the infamous doctor better.” The blonde practically purred. “Donna’s been ever so evasive about you.”

“Doctor! Let’s go get the girls a round of drinks! Usual I suppose? Right! good!” Donna pulled him away from the table towards the bar. “This isn’t going to work.” Donna hissed at the Doctor. She hated watching Nerys flirt so openly with her apparent boyfriend and she didn’t want him getting lured in by her charms. The woman was toxic. 

“Why not?" The Doctor whispered in her ear as they made their way to the bar. The crowd parted before him like the Red Sea, it was ridiculous. Donna wondered whether it was a Time Lord thing or whether it was just because he was tall. She normally had to fight her way to the bar. At least having big boobs meant she got served pretty quickly once she got there. 

“Because they are never going to believe you’re with me. Look at you!” Donna gestured in his vague direction.

“I am rather handsome aren’t I?" The Doctor winked. “Does that mean you finally admit it?” 

“No. Yes. Oh shut up!” Donna glared at him. “Missing the point!”

“But you’re beautiful Donna, and smart and funny and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. You’ve saved my life so many times." The Doctor said sincerely, making Donna’s heart do all sorts of acrobatics which just wasn’t fair. 

“You don’t mean that.” She mumbled as she tried to hide her blush behind her hair and waved down a barman. 

“I promised not to lie to you Donna." The Doctor insisted. 

Donna ordered their drinks for the table and pulled out her wallet. She’d forgotten how expensive a round of drinks were in London. It was much cheaper on the colonies in outer space. She almost paid the barman in credits but the Doctor caught her hand before she could hand over her shiny silver space credit card. “I still don’t think it’ll work.” Donna muttered as they waiting for their drinks. “Nerys is already flirting with you.”

“Was she? I didn’t notice.” He replied honestly.

“Oh come off it. She was all fluttery eyelids and come to bed voice. She couldn’t have been more obvious if she started playing Christmas carols and started dedicating her love to you through signs!”

“Oooh I love that movie! The bit with Hugh Grant dancing in Downing Street. I suggested that. Smashing bloke." The Doctor said wistfully. “But honestly I didn’t notice. We could always up the act?” 

“Oh yeah? And how do you plan on doing that?” Donna rolled her eyes. He’d already been glued to her side and kissed her hair and she’d called him darling. She didn’t think they needed to be anymore obvious. Nerys was just a cow. 

The Doctor pulled her closer to him and kissed her cheek. “Trust me?” He breathed in her ear.

Donna nodded, not quite trusting her own voice as her heart began to race in her chest. Stupid Time Lord with his stupid sexy voice and oh! The Doctor was kissing her. His lips were warm and soft against hers and she froze whilst her brain tried to catch up with what he was doing. He pulled back ever so slightly. “Donna?”

Donna felt the butterflies in her stomach and she suddenly felt a little light-headed. She reminded herself it was all a game, an act to impress her friends. Well she would not be out done. She laced her fingers through his hair and pulled him back in, snogging him like her life depended on it until she was gasping for breath. She pulled back with a smug look on her face when she noticed he looked more than a little dazed. 

“Umm… your drinks are ready, miss.” The poor barman said with a mortified look in his eyes. Donna winked at him and swiped up two of the drinks. The Doctor would have to carry the rest, if he ever snapped out of his daze. She still had it then. That was good to know.

* * *

The Doctor was playing with a lock of Donna’s hair as she chatted amicably with her friends. Shockingly, he was actually enjoying himself although that probably more to do with the act he got to play with Donna rather than the event itself. He’d been wanting to kiss her again ever since the hospital but none of their fake marriage acts so far had required that much PDA. It was more a game of their company assumed they were married so it was easier to play along than deny it. 

The last few weeks alone in the Tardis had been hell. He’d hated every second. He had missed her desperately and her little attempts to cheer him up. The first morning he’d walked into the kitchen and there hadn’t been a mug of tea waiting for him he’d instantly burst into tears. He’d taken the genocide of the Dalek/human hybrid hard. For the first time since the Time War he’d seen something in the Daleks that he liked. For first time they weren’t obsessed with destruction and death. For the first time he’d seen some humanity in them. His beloved adopted race had taken the universes most lethal killing machines and made them kind. 

Human Dalek Sec had been brilliant. He was bright and shining and new. An utter genius. He had a vision that would bring Daleks into a new era and let them grow in peace amongst the stars. The Doctor had even offered to use the Tardis to help the new race find a home. A Dalek and Time Lord working in harmony and all because of one tiny little human. It was going to be brilliant but the dream was ripped apart and the Doctor watched all scraps of hope be torn to shred by the Daleks. They would rather die a machine than become something worth fighting for. 

Donna hadn’t understood but she’d been there for him whilst he grieved what might have been, a whole time line turned to dust, and he’d just pushed her away. He’d paid the price for that. The first night after she left he’d torn his room apart. He couldn’t face sleep without her. His bed suddenly seemed too big, too cold. He was so alone. He’d heard the phone ring in the console room but couldn’t face her. She was too good to him, even if that sometimes meant yelling at him. By the second week he’d been ready to crawl back to her and beg her to forgive his moods but he’d been a complete mess. He’d even been a coward and lied to her about how long it had been for him.

Not to mention that the Tardis had been a complete state. He hadn’t had the energy to even move old mugs to the sink, let alone the trail of bits and bobs that were scattered around from his tinkering in the workshop. So he’d tidied up the best he could, without the Tardis’s help. All the dishes were done, the books in the library were now almost all sorted just how Donna had wanted, he’d had a shower and done all their laundry. He had a feeling that the Tardis chipped in with that one to make sure nothing got ruined because everything came out perfectly ironed and ready to be put away. He owed her an apology, big time but tidying up was a good start. He had no right to shut her out like he had, not after everything she had sacrificed with him. 

One thing he now knew for certain was that he wasn’t ready to live without Donna Noble and he would do everything in his power to keep her in his life. Even if that meant making sure she didn’t forget her home. That was a mistake he’d made with Rose. She’d become too dependent on him and the things she had done to stay by his side were too much. His own Tardis had almost paid the price. Donna had already shown that she could do the difficult thing and say goodbye. He shuddered as he remembered Calibris, his brilliant best friend had had a time reaver bomb stuck to her back. He’d been the reckless one that time. He couldn’t let her die like that, not a time reaver bomb. Thankfully they had both made it out alive… mostly. The centuries he’d spent in his own mind had been….difficult. 

At least he’d had the delight of seeing Donna all… wenchy. That had been a brilliant outfit, he should probably land in the right timezone for her to wear it again. No. That was a bad idea. She’d notice. Worth a shot though?

“Doctor?” Donna put her hand on his cheek and he blinked back into the present day. “Hi you.” She said fondly.

“Hello.” He smiled back dopily, his brilliant runaway bride. 

“We lost you for a moment there, honey.” Donna looked concerned. He leaned in a kissed her chastely, making the most of their cover for the evening. 

“Sorry, love.” He winked. “Just thinking about New York.” He admitted, hoping she would understand. 

“Oooh!” Nerys giggled. “What happened in New York?” 

Donna laughed easily. “Oh which time? We liked it so much we went back! Didn’t we, sugar?” She squeezed his hand and leant her head against his shoulder. 

“Well we got a bit lost the first time. I forgot how bad the traffic could be and tried to take a diversion. Ended up in a bit of a dodgy part.” He smiled sheepishly. 

“But my wonderful dazzling Doctor, he helped a whole bunch of people get out of a terrible loop. They were either suffering drug addictions or choking from pollution in the street. He helped clean it all up. They are on track for a brighter life because of him.” Donna told them excitably. The Doctor blushed. He wasn’t used to being praised for saving people like he did. He very rarely got a thank you, and his friends just wanted the adventures and the stars. Oh Donna never failed to surprise him. 

“But I couldn’t have done it without Donna, and an old friend turned up to help too." The Doctor added.

“Nonsense!” Donna chided. “He’s always too modest.”

Her friends were completely absorbed with their tales, even without knowing that the New York they were talking about was on a completely different planet. Donna was manipulating the story so easily that even he might have been convinced if he hadn’t have been there. 

“What about the second time?” Veena asked with wonder in her voice. 

“The second time we actually got to see some theatre! We met a wonderful actress called Tallulah and her boyfriend Frank.” Donna smirked at him mischievously. 

“Wow! People are called that in New York?” Charlie looked stunned. “I thought that was just the movies.”

“Her parents were massive geeks about the old movies.” Donna explained.

“And we got to visit the Empire State Building." The Doctor chimed in. “Right to the very top.”

“The view was electrifying.” Donna giggled making the Doctor laugh. 

“Oh yes. That it was.” He placed a kiss on her hair and breathed in her sweet vanilla scent. 

Donna’s friends squealed at his display of affection and both him and Donna blushed and pulled apart slightly, putting some distance between them. He was getting far too caught up in their act and he knew it. If he wasn’t careful he was going to get his hearts broken. They were friends, best friends, nothing more. She probably was still grieving Lance. Even if he was a bastard. 

And the more he thought about it, the more he realised that he was thinking of Rose less and less every day. Donna was helping him mend his broken heart, and even more than that she was helping him to realise that maybe he feelings for Rose were closer to infatuation than romantic love. The more he thought back on his time with his friend, the more he realised just how many times she’d put them both in exponential danger. Sure, she always helped him to find a way out but if she had listened to him more, then they would have had a lot safer travels. The stunt she’d played with her father was a prime example, then running off into the parallel universe when he’d told her to stay put, coming back to him by ripping his poor Tardis apart with a tow truck. As Donna so frequently said, she probably could have just asked nicely. The Tardis would have known how much danger was in, she would have wanted to help. 

And maybe Rose was more than a little infatuated with him too. That hadn’t been fair to her or Mickey. He’d enjoyed the attention at the time but Mickey hadn’t deserved that, Mickey was actually quite clever now he thought about it. Rose had been far too comfortable to flirt with Adam, and then Jack and even Mickey, in front of the Doctor for her to really love him. Yeah, it was probably just infatuation. After all he’d probably seduced her with the stars. 

He sighed. 

It was all much easier when he was able to pretend that he didn’t love his companions. He’d grown a bit lax at that in the last few regenerations. It was too late now. He looked down on the brilliant redhead next to him with her golden blue eyes like galaxies and her flaming hair and her glorious beautiful kind soul. 

It was far too late. 

“Ooh!” Nerys squealed. “We should go dancing!” and the other two girls yelled loudly in agreement. 

“Oh no. No. We can’t. We have to go. Got a thing early tomorrow.” Donna waved her hands in front of her and shook her head but it didn’t look like Nerys was going to back down easily. 

“Oh come on, Don! You never come dancing anymore! You’re too busy with all that travelling!” Veena shrilled and pouted. 

“No. Best not.” Donna insisted. “Right, John, sweetie?” She glared up at him fiercely. It was too tempting. Far too tempting. He hadn’t been to a proper party since Reinette in France and Donna was far too fun to wind up. 

“Oh. I don’t know.” He grinned. “One dance can’t hurt love.” 

Donna gaped up at him with fire in his eyes. “Oh you…” She hissed under her breath. “dumb Martian.” 

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I’m not from Mars.”

Donna swatted his arm and rolled her eyes. “Nope! We are leaving. We have an early flight.” 

* * *

Donna glared at her friend all the way back in the car and the all the way back to the Tardis. They had waved a quick goodbye to her parents and then walked straight back out the house towards the hill. She just wanted to go back to the Tardis. This act was starting to confuse her heart and she didn’t think she could keep it up much longer. He was being far too convincing, which shouldn’t have surprised her. He was able to talk the pants off all sorts of aliens whilst trying to save the day, of course he could dazzle her friends and convince them all that he was dating her in the same move. Donna prayed that it wouldn’t get back to her mother. She should probably text Gramps just in case, some preemptive damage control. 

How on Earth were they supposed to go back to acting like just friends after tonight? She’d fallen so easily into the routine of girlfriend, and honestly it really wasn’t too much different to how they usually acted. If anything their pet names were less extreme than their usual act, and the only big difference was the kissing. After the big snog for show, the Doctor had taken that as a green light and had kissed her, more gently, more chastely probably half a dozen times over the course of the night. Every single time had made Donna’s heart soar before she reminded herself it was just an act and it came crashing down. Maybe she was more over Lance than she thought. 

Maybe she’d never really loved him at all. She’d just been so desperate to get married. She been so desperate to be a woman that her mother could be proud of, and she had been haunted by the sound of her biological clock. She’d always wanted to be a mother. She supposed that was very unlikely to happen now. She couldn’t start raising children on the Tardis, plus who could she meet? She couldn’t imagine the Doctor would be too happy for her to bring a partner on board. Maybe she could adopt? It still wouldn’t be right to bring a child onto their life on the Tardis. 

“Oh come on Donna.” He pouted. “It wasn’t that bad!” 

“What if Mum finds out that we’re supposedly dating? She’ll think I lied to her!” Donna yelled at the Time Lord.

“Yes. That’s very true… but…” He paused dramatically. “We totally showed Nerys.” He grinned and Donna couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh God. Did you see her face when we came back from the bar?” She giggled. “I thought she was going to grow horns!”

“Now now Donna, that’s cruel. There are loads of horned alien species that are perfectly lovely." The Doctor teased.

“Hmm.. What about turn into one of those Macra creatures from New Earth?” Donna suggested.

The Doctor thought about it and nodded. “They did try to kill you.” He agreed as he unlocked the Tardis. They were home at last. For Donna it had only been a couple of days, but it felt like a life time without her best friend by her side. Had she really only known him for just over four months?

“They did but you saved me. You always save me.” She gazed up at her wonderful mad man. 

“Of course I do.” He pulled her into a hug. “What would I do without my Bella Donna?”

Donna’s heart was racing in her chest. They were alone now. There was no need to act like a couple and yet it felt like nothing had changed at all. 

Maybe that’s why everyone kept mistaking them for couples…

No. That was stupid. They just looked similar in age and most people couldn’t handle the fact that a man and woman could be just friends. 

“Drown in the Thames for a start.” She teased. “Come on, Time Lord. I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted.” 

She pulled him through the Tardis to his bedroom. She paused outside his room, noting that her door was opposite his in the corridor. That was new. She was normally a couple of minutes down the corridor. She looked up at him questioningly. She didn’t want to just assume, especially after the slightly weird evening they had had but he did look more tired than normal. She thought maybe company may help him sleep. He looked at his door, the familiar Gallifreyan etched into the wood, and then back to her door and scowled. 

“Umm…” He said. “We don’t have to…”

“It’s up to you, spaceman.” Donna insisted. She’d be disappointed if he chose to sleep alone but perhaps it wasn’t a bad idea. They should probably put some normalcy back into their life, into their relationship. She’d never quite had a friendship like it. 

“Right. Well…” He stuttered, uncharacteristically lost for words. Donna rolled her eyes and gave him a soft smile.

“I’m going to my room. You can join me if you want but otherwise then, I’m only across the hall if you need me.” Donna kissed his cheek and pushed her door open and strode into her room without looking behind her. She couldn’t face him. She couldn’t risk him seeing the disappointment in her eyes if he walked away. 

She closed her eyes tightly as she heard the Doctor’s door shut behind her. Her chest ached and tears began to well up in her eyes. 

“Damn it.” She whispered under her bed and turned to shut her own door. 

She got ready for bed quickly and turned out her light before the tears began to fall. The game they were playing was more dangerous than any monsters or aliens they had faced. They playing with matters of the heart and Donna was beginning to realise that it was only ever going to burn her in the end.

* * *

Donna woke up feeling almost uncomfortably warm. That was new. The Tardis normally kept her bedroom at a perfect temperature. She went to roll over onto her other side when she realised she was trapped. 

The Doctor’s arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. 

She froze.

They’d shared a bed most nights between the time lock and Manhattan but they’d always managed to keep some space between them, or at least she had assumed they did. The Doctor was always awake and out of the bed before Donna had even begun to wake up in the mornings. They’d always gone to bed on separate sides of the bed and she’d always woken up alone. This cuddling thing was a first and not entirely unwelcome. 

At least it wouldn’t be if she wasn’t melting and desperate to pee. 

She tried to wiggle out of his arms but he just gripped her tighter. Donna huffed. “Well isn’t this wizard…” She mumbled. 

Come to think of it, how had he even ended up in her room. She remembered the pang of disappointment she’d felt when he’d gone into his own room. She remembered decidedly not crying into her pillow. She would whack anyone that suggested otherwise, and yet here he was. All koala bear on her waist. 

“Bella Donna….” He slurred but didn’t let go of her so she assumed he was still asleep. She frowned and tried to turn around in his grip so she was facing him. It wasn’t easy but eventually she managed it. 

And good lord was that a mistake.

He looked so young, so peaceful. His boyish face was peppered with freckles like the stars the travelled past in the sky. His hair fell softly in front of his eyes now all the gel had been washed out and his cheeks were all pink, probably from the heat in the room. He looked so human, and his face was so close to hers. She tried desperately not to think of all those kisses they’d shared the night before. The searing hot snog to really fool their friends and the sweet innocent kisses to keep up the act. 

“Doctor.” She whispered quietly. She really didn’t want to have to wake him, not when he looked so peaceful but her bladder was getting impatient. His eyelids flickered. She reached up to rest her hand on his cheek. “Spaceman…” She said a little louder and gasped as her fingers made contact with his temple.

She was pulled into his mind like dust into a vacuum. Her face, all around her were visions of her. In her wedding dress. In the snow outside of the Tardis. That blinding kiss in the hospital. Fire burning around her in Pompeii. She was laughing. She was smiling. She was crying. All the nicknames flying back and forth. A flutter of his hearts in his chest when he saw her after their time apart. 

She inhaled sharply as the connection was torn apart and she was back in her bedroom. The Doctor’s hand was in hers, holding it away from his face. His soft hazel brown eyes were staring at her in shock, his mouth wide open.

“What was that?!” She shrieked as she tried to reorientate herself back in the room. 

“How did you do that?” He shot back. “You shouldn’t have been able to do that! Unless, no. No? Yes! Oh god I am thick!” He leapt up and out of the bed in an instant. Donna rubbed her eyes and pulled herself up so she could watch him run around her room in a whirlwind. “It’s you!”

“What?” 

“Stupid!” He pulled his hands through his hair roughly. “Too safe. It’s dangerous! My mind. Oh god. Come on!” He tapped his temples with his fingertips. “Got to get it all back up. Recalibrate the defences. Ah!”

He spun round and almost walked straight into her wardrobe. She raised an eyebrow at his mad antics. Was he always this disorientated in the mornings or was he making a special effort just for her? She couldn’t remember him being this bad when they’d been in the tavern but then again he’d woken her up so he might have already managed to settle down before he woke her up. He glared at the wardrobe and then spun round to face her again. He reached out for her hands which she gave him with a confused looked on her face. He pulled her fingers up to his temples, like she had done in the caves.

“Anything?” He asked as he watched her carefully with those gorgeous brown eyes of his. 

Donna wasn’t sure what she was supposed to be looking for so she shook her head. “Spaceman, what’s going on?” 

“Try and see what I’m thinking, Donna. Go on!” He hissed almost manically. 

Donna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She remembered how she had pushed thoughts onto the Doctor in the caves, and how it had felt when he’d been wondering through her mind, picking up on old memories. She remembered the feeling of being sucked into his mind when she’d accidentally made contact when he was asleep. She focussed on that feeling, trying to replicate it. 

“Oooh. You are good!" The Doctor breathed in awe. “How are you doing that?”

Donna scowled and opened her eyes. She couldn’t hear anything in her mind. His thoughts were silent. “But I’m not doing anything? I can’t hear anything.” She tried to pull her fingers away but the Doctor held her hands in place. 

“Don’t. Careful. You don’t want to pull away too fast.” He whispered. 

“But I’m not doing anything!” She insisted.

“Oh Donna.” He chuckled. “You can’t hear anything because I’ve rebuilt my mental walls. Like the doors remember?”

“I don’t see any doors.”

“Well… no. But that’s because I’ve had more practice. You can’t even see my defences. They’re that good.” He grinned.

“But all those things I saw before…” She said.

“Dreams. They were dreams. My dreams to be exact.” He scowled at some unsaid thought.

“Nightmares more like.” Donna muttered as she remembered how much she had featured in the dreams she had seen. They had flown by so fast she could barely process what she was seeing. Was that how he saw the world? No wonder he never seemed to stop. 

“Dreams.” He insisted. “My nightmares… Well… you don’t want to see those.” He muttered darkly before snapping back to happy with a crazy grin on his face. “But you saw the dreams before because for some reason my defences came down! That never happens, not even in my sleep but you, you, Donna Noble. Oh you are brilliant!” 

“You keep on saying that.” She rolled her eyes and tried to pull away again but he stopped her again.

“Because it’s true. I always knew you were something special, the way the Tardis opened up to you so easily, that was incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it, and then you go and make me let my guards down.” He grinned. “Of course, they are all up now. Can’t have stray telepaths getting inside my head. Oh the Ood would have a field day! So the question is…” He paused dramatically. “How are you still in my mind?” 

“What?!” Donna squeaked. “Rubbish! You’re talking out your arse, Time boy!’ 

_Am I?_

“What was that!?” Donna yelled. 

“I’m blocking you out, Donna but I can still feel you and that should be impossible. You’re human. Very low level psychic abilities humans. You should only be able to use psychic links if a telepathic species, like me, opens one up but I never did. I was trying to stop you." The Doctor stared. “Sometimes I wonder about you, Donna Noble” 

“But I didn’t do anything.” Donna whispered. 

_Come on, Donna! It’s brilliant! _The Doctor chimed in the back of her mind. He had a smirk on his face. 

_It’s ridiculous. _She thought back firmly. “Now let me go, alien boy! I need the toilet!” She swatted his arms away from her temple. The connection between them was severed once more. Donna blinked as she suddenly realised how loud he had been buzzing in her mind. That strange tickling sensation from before. How had she not noticed it? Her head felt strangely empty now without it. That was just wizard! All she needed was to acclimatise to having an alien in her head. Stupid Martian. 

She hopped off the bed and ran to the toilet, locking the door behind her loudly. As she did so she imagined locking the Doctor out of her mind too. It was too much, too intimate, and she couldn’t let him find out. Friends. They were just friends. 

He could never know.

* * *

Donna stirred her tea aimlessly. Her mug had turned a murky moss green colour from the time she’d been stirring the brown liquid. Her marmalade toast was long forgotten. She kept replaying this morning in her mind. The dreams she’d seen in the Doctor’s head, all about her, the daft alien. She had felt his heart beats as if they were her own. It hadn’t even seemed unusual to have two heart beats whilst she was reliving his memories, and what was the deal with the telepathy thing? The Doctor had seemed beyond impressed that she had managed to worm her way past his mental walls even though he had invited her to try. All she’d done was try to replicate what she had felt before, she hadn’t meant to do anything special. 

But what did it mean?

Why could she do something that the Doctor claimed was impossible? Was she sick? Was there something wrong with her? Had the Huon particles affected her more than either of them had realised. Oh God how was she gonna tell Gramps? Or her mum! Sylvia would probably shoot the Doctor dead if she knew the truth. 

“Donna?" The Doctor said gently, shaking her from her thoughts as he put his hand on her shoulder. “You alright?”

Donna plastered a fake smile on her face. She was just being silly. He didn’t need to worry about her. “Yeah! I’m always alright.” Oh God she was starting to sound like him. 

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her. “Do I need to put us in a time lock or are you gonna tell me the truth?” 

“What?” 

“It works both ways, Donna." The Doctor frowned. “If we’re gonna be best friends, then you cannot lie to me.” 

“How dare you!?” She mocked outrage. “Using my own words against me!”

“Needs must, Donna. So… time lock or truth?” He plopped down in the seat opposite her and snatched up her toast. Donna gaped at him as he took a large bite. That was her breakfast!

“Oi!” She snapped and pulled the plate back to her. 

“What?” He said through a mouthful of toast. 

“Get your own!” Donna glared at him. “There’s yogurt in the fridge. The ones with chocolate covered cornflakes that you like.” 

“Ooh! Donna! You are brilliant you are!” He jumped up to search the fridge. “And still changing the subject! Don’t make me call your mum!” 

“Don’t you dare!” Donna narrowed her eyes at him. 

He smirked back and pulled an old looking mobile from his pocket and waved it threateningly at her. “Look what Wilf gave me! You don’t need to call the Tardis phone anymore.” 

“No!”

“Yup!” He grinned as he peeled off the label from his yogurt. 

“Urgh! Fine. I’m worried about the stuff this morning.” She glared at him, feeling all sorts of embarrassed. Time Lords probably even didn’t think about telepathy being scary. It was just another day at the office for them. Like breathing or blinking or whatever. “You said it should have been impossible.”

“Yeah. Well. Not impossible, clearly, just a bit unlikely. Like me!” He grinned manically. "The Doctor and Donna. Just a bit Unlikely.”

“What’s that then? The name of our sitcom?” Donna laughed, preferring this topic of conversation, away from feelings and embarrassing body problems.

The Doctor pouted. “Nooo, come on, Donna! Detective thriller at least. Like Mulder and Scully!”

“Isn’t that sci-fi?” Donna raised an eyebrow.

“Detective thriller… with aliens. What could be more perfect?" The Doctor winked at her and then scowled suddenly. “You’re too good at distracting me.”

“Guilty as charged my honour!” Donna smirked, the Doctor continued to glare at her. “Ok ok! Is there something wrong with me?”

“Now why would you think that?" The Doctor asked, taking a big mouthful of banana yogurt with chocolate cornflakes. 

“I’m doing things humans shouldn’t be able to do. The Tardis connects with me better.” She sighed. _Thanks Sweetheart! _She thought to the ship. “Why? Was it the Huon particles?”

“Oooh!” He waved his arms about, almost spilling goopy yogurt all over the floor. “Good idea! Oh Donna. My Bella Donna!”

“Shut up.” She mumbled blushing. 

“No no no! That’s brilliant.” He dropped his half eaten yogurt in the sink and fumbled in his pockets until he found his sonic. He pointed in at Donna’s head and pushed the button, blinding her with the little blue light. 

“What have I told you about beeping me?” Donna yelled as she shielded her eyes. 

The Doctor smiled sheepishly “Sorry dear.” He stared at his screwdriver intently. “Nothing. I need more data. Come on!” He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen. 

“Doctor!” She shrieked as she almost knocked her mug of cold tea flying. “Where are we going?”

“Med bay! I need to scan your brain!” He yelled back as he tugged her into a room she hadn’t seen before. It was like something out of star trek. 

“Woah there, Spock! Who said you can scan my brain?” Donna shouted. He screeched to a stop and turned to face her with full on puppy eyes. “Oh go on then!” She grumbled. “But you’re taking me shopping!” 

“Deal. Just jump up on the bed." The Doctor patted the spacey looking gurney and slid his glasses onto his nose. “Up you pop!”

“Stupid martian.” Donna grumbled as she hauled herself onto the bed. 

He stuck weird probey things on her temples and types furiously at the keyboard that was linked up to some space age monitor. It was all in Gallifreyan so she couldn’t understand a word of it, although it probably wouldn’t have helped if it was in English. The Doctor was wittering away as he tried to analyse whatever signals her brain was giving off, it was all nonsense to her. So she switched off and tried to focus on something nicer than having her brain scanned by an alien on an alien spaceship. She’d thought about what she might buy in an alien supermarket on the shopping trip the Doctor had promised her. Maybe she could get something for Gramps for his birthday, or an anniversary present for her parents. Of course it couldn’t be too alien looking. She would have to be able to convince her parents that it had come from some far off place on Earth. So weird gadgets were out. Maybe some jewellery made from some space rocks, or art work of some far off constellation. Her parents wouldn’t know if it was some constellation not visible from Earth, although Gramps might be more interested in that one. 

She was pulled from her thoughts by a sharp jab in her arm. “Ow!” She shrieked and hit the Doctor hard in the arm. “What was that?!”

“Needed some blood. Sorry. I did warn you. “ He smiled sheepishly. “And…” He reached up and plucked a strand of her hair. “all done!”

“Oi!” She rubbed her head. “Why do you need all that?”

“DNA testing.” He admitted. “Nothing to worry about.”

“DNA testing?” Donna asked incredulously “Why?” She snapped. 

“Nothing to worry about.” He insisted. 

“Doctor!” Donna snapped. “Why?” 

“Just some minor anomalies. Probably from prolonged exposure to the time vortex. Barely noticeable. You’re still one hundred percent human. I promise.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Well, maybe ninety nine point nine nine nine…”

“Doctor!” She snapped. 

“Nine… sorry.” 

“What does it mean?” Donna asked desperately trying not to panic. 

“I’ll find out with more tests. At a guess I’d say slightly accelerated healing, perhaps a minor increase of life expectancy.” He wrinkled his nose and pushed his glasses up. 

“What?!” She yelled. Increased life expectancy? How the hell was she supposed to explain that to her parents?

“Only by a few months or so. Nothing noticeable. Probably happens to all my companions and I’ve never even noticed. Interesting. Why don’t you go relax somewhere whilst I finish up here?” He suggested.

Donna was about to agree. She needed a drink. She didn’t care that it was only just past breakfast time, they were technically in the time vortex so time was all relatively anyway. Somewhere in the universe it was an appropriate time to drink, but instead, her phone rang. 

She stared at the Doctor and then pulled out her mobile. It was Martha Jones. “What do I do?” She hissed. 

“Answer it!” He looked panicked.

“You answer it!” She shot back. 

“Put it on speaker!” He retorted.

So she did. She clicked answer and put the device onto speaker so they could both hear their friend. Donna really didn’t need this now. Not when she was having a potentially non-human existential crisis. 

“Donna? Hi. It’s Martha. I can’t believe this actually connected. He actually did it!” Martha’s voice came out from the tiny mobile device. 

“Of course I did!" The Doctor protested. 

“Oh.. Hi Doctor. Look. I know you only just dropped me off but… I think there’s something you need to see.” Martha said. She sounded worried. 

“We dropped you off three months ago?” Donna questioned.

“No… You dropped me off last night.” Martha insisted. 

“Time Travel, Donna." The Doctor reminded her. 

“Oh yeah.” 

“How can we help, Miss Jones?" The Doctor asked trying to get the conversation back on track. 

“Well, my sister has this new job right? And I turned on the news when I was eating breakfast and there she was on the tv.” Martha said. 

“Blimey. Bet that was a shock” Donna replied. 

“You have no idea.” Martha sounded exasperated. “But her new boss, Doctor, he said he will change what it means to be human!” 

“Oh look it’s catching!” Donna said sarcastically. 

“What?” Martha asked. 

“Nothing!” Both Donna and the Doctor snapped back together.

“You’re right Martha Jones! That is interesting. Text Donna the exact date and we’ll be right there!” the Doctor continued loudly giving Donna a pointed look. 

She stuck her tongue out at him as she hung up the phone. Not a minute later, her phoned chimed with a text and they were running off towards the console room to meet up with their friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fake dating shenanigans... because that never gets old. Also can I just say how much I love Wilfred Mott? He's great and I love writing his little snippets of dialogue. Actually writing Sylvia and Nerys was pretty fun too... but I don't love them. They just have interesting voices to write for. 
> 
> Martha is coming back!! Yay!! I told you she'd be back! 
> 
> Any hoo let me know what you think. Things are starting to fall into place quite nicely I think. :D I'm on holiday next weekend so I might post Friday if you're lucky. If not it will be two weeks time on Sunday because I won't have access to my laptop. Sad times. 
> 
> Hope you all had a lovely holiday season and happy new year! <3 
> 
> \- Yaz


	9. The Lazarus Experiment

Martha waited patiently outside her house. She’d called the hospital to let them know she wouldn’t be able to make her shift. She told them she’d not slept well as a result of the events of the moon and they’d practically jumped at the opportunity to give her sick leave. The hospital was doing a huge wellbeing drive and mental health in their staff members was one of their big topics. She’d also been emailed a whole bunch of leaflets about counselling and PTSD, which wasn’t exactly a bad idea. She’d had some very strange dreams about witches the night before but it had been fun and adventurous rather than scary. Maybe she was a little odd herself. The Tardis engines whined in the air as the blue box faded back into existence. 

Her friends bounded out the box excitably and Donna rushed to hug her. Martha laughed and hugged her friend back, trying to remember that for the two time travellers it had been three months since they’d seen her. For her it had hardly been a day. 

The Doctor grinned as Donna released Martha from her grip and then stepped forward to embrace her. Martha laughed as she was swept up in his arms. He was still wearing his brown suit and long trench coat even though it had apparently been three months. Martha wondered if it was just a coincidence or whether he just never changed. Maybe he was like a comic book character and only had one outfit. Donna had changed her top from last time but she was still wearing that brown leather jacket. Maybe it was just her favourite coat. Martha got that. She wore her red one all the time when the weather was right. 

Martha showed the Doctor and Donna a shaky recording of Lazarus on her phone. She’d recorded it from the tv when she’d noticed her sister was on the news. The Doctor scowled at the blurry image and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. It buzzed loudly for a couple of seconds before he paused to look at it. 

“Oh that’s interesting.” He murmured. 

“What?” Donna asked leaning into his shoulder to try and look. Was it just Martha’s imagination or had they gotten even closer overnight? They were almost like they had been in the hospital when they had pretended to be married, although there was never much difference to begin with. Martha sighed. She was probably just tired and seeing things that weren’t there. She was a bit of a romantic at heart, and she had thought they were kind of cute together. 

The Doctor snapped his sonic shut. “Nothing! Martha, lovely wonderful brilliant Martha Jones!” He turned to face her with a dazzling smile on his face. “Tell me about this new job your sister got. Working for a man called Lazarus. Did that not ring any alarm bells?” 

“You don’t think?” Donna gaped at him.

“Oh yes!” He grinned. 

“No!” She breathed

“Oh yes! Changing what it means to be human, Donna! And what’s more human than mortality?”

“The Lazarus Pit?” Martha asked remembering all her brother’s comic books as kids. He’d been obsessed with Batman until the age of about 16. “That’s not real is it?”

“Nah. Well… not exactly. Somewhere around the 98th Century some cats start experimenting. Well… I say cats. They are kind of more like… people? Cat people. Great at medicine. They learn how to cure almost every disease in the universe eventually. Don’t ask me how. Long story. Not good. The ethics board would go mad if they knew what they got up to.” 

“Oi! Spaceman!” Donna cut him off and covered his mouth with her hands. His eyes went wide and he mumbled something unintelligible behind her hand. “Back in the room?”

He nodded and she let him go with a roll of his eyes. 

“Sorry. What was I saying?" The Doctor asked. “Oh yes! Lazarus Pit. Not real. Based on a true story though but it all got mixed and mashed through time. Lovely man Lazarus of Bethany, he got sick. Very sick. I had to put him into a coma, it was the only way his body could heal properly, and then Jesus came along just at the right time for him to wake up and voila! Miracle! Resurrected from the dead. I suppose I forgot to correct them.” He rubbed his face. “Oops.”

“So you’re saying Tish’s boss is going to make himself immortal?” Martha asked. 

“Looks that way." The Doctor admitted. “Question is… How do we stop it?”

“Why should we stop it?” Martha asked. “If it works, it could help cure cancer and all sorts of terrible things, and people could live so much longer.” 

“That’s not always a good thing." The Doctor said darkly. “Imagine, outliving everyone you know. Watching the world constantly changing around you whilst you stay still in time. It’s not all fun and games.”

“And you would know that?” She frowned. She knew the Doctor was alien but he was talking as if he was some kind of God. 

“Yeah. I would.” He muttered. 

“So…” Donna cut in taking the Doctor’s hand in hers. Martha blushed, she hadn’t meant to upset him. She didn’t know. How could she possibly know that he was some kind of immortal? “Your sister, Tish. Can she get us into the big event?” 

“Oh, umm yeah. I have tickets. I get to bring a plus one but I might be able to get an extra ticket for you.” She said quickly, avoiding the Doctor’s dark gaze. He still had mood swings quicker than the changing weather then, three months with Donna hadn’t fixed that. At least the redhead seemed to be able to hold her own against his strange moods. 

‘Brilliant. You get on that and we’ll go get changed. Black tie?” Donna asked happily. 

“Yup. Sunday best. I’m not sure the pinstripes will cut it I’m afraid.” She gestured to the Doctor, hoping the joke would lighten his mood. 

“I have a tux. It’s just unlucky.” He muttered. “Come on, Donna.” 

Donna rolled her eyes and mouthed an apology to Martha. “We’ll see you tonight Martha!”

Martha waved as they tumbled back into the Tardis. She supposed they were going to take the quick route. No point in waiting around all day for the big event. Martha considered going into work to distract herself during the day but changed her mind. She’d earned her day off. She’d helped to save half the world yesterday, and technically she’d saved the whole world in her yesterday… god this time travel business wasn’t easy. She sighed. At least she had time to study. Those exams weren’t going to pass themselves. 

* * *

Donna helped straighten the Doctor’s bowtie. He wrinkled his nose in disgust and shuffled awkwardly. They’d had a row about what he was going to wear. He wanted to wear his brown pinstripes but Donna had put her foot down. Martha was absolutely right, it wouldn’t cut it for a black tie event. She’d changed into a backless emerald silk gown for the occasion and he was not going to turn up in his every day wear. She’d even spent an extra hour on her hair, making sure it had soft waves running through it. Plus she’d had excuse to spend an age in the bathtub, soaking in some bath salts from Kataa Flo Ko, she’d never been but the Doctor had insisted they were the best. The salts were infused with the coral diamonds which helps to exfoliate the skin and the scent was just out of this world. Donna had fallen in love at first bath. 

The Doctor had spent all of ten minutes on his hair and declared that he was ready before Donna marched him straight back to his room to change. “I told you! It’s unlucky!” He had whined at her but she didn’t take no for an answer. 

So she had wrestled him into his tux, ignoring his attempts at ridiculous innuendos, and thrown a nice pair of black leather shoes at him. He’d taken one look at them and thrown them into the time vortex. So they’d compromised on black converse. Daft alien. 

“What do you have against bowties anyway?” She asked at the 900ish old alien who was currently throwing a temper tantrum. “I think they’re cool.”

“They are stupid, Donna. Why have a bowtie when a normal tie is right there?” He pouted. “Much better for snogging purposes.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and ducked as she tried to whack him around the back of the head. “What? It’s true. The tie has served me very well with this face.”

“What’s that even mean, spaceman?” Donna rolled her eyes. It wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned his face as if it wasn’t the one he was born with. She’d assumed he’d been talking nonsense but all this talk of immortality had her wondering.

“Time Lord trick. Lazarus isn’t the only one that can cheat death.” He grinned. 

“Explain.” Donna crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Well you know it takes a lot to fatally wound a Time Lord?” He started to say. 

“Yeah. Like the radiation and the Carrionites?” She asked, remembering how he managed to survive at least two things that should have killed him outright. 

“Right. Well, in the event that a Time Lord does get fatally wounded, we have this sort of… thing. Like a reset button. We can regenerate every cell in our bodies to heal all at once.” He scowled as he tried to explain it in a way she would understand.

“Like Lazarus?” Donna laughed at the irony. 

“Exactly! Except we don’t come back with the same body. It’s a complete reset. Brand new face, new personality, new fashion sense." The Doctor gesticulated wildly as he explained.

“Oh there is an upside then.” Donna teased. 

“Oi!” He glared. “If you think this is bad… you should have seen my sixth self. Rainbow coat. Oh god that was one hell of a time, or my fifth self! I had celery in my pocket. Can you imagine? I don’t know what I was thinking. I got my love of cricket from him. I loved being him…” He said wistfully. 

“The pictures in the library are all of you?” Donna asked as she remembered the clothes he was describing. “All those men… that’s you?”

“Yup!” He grinned. “Hard to kill me. I’m on my tenth body. New new new new…” Donna covered his mouth with her hand. 

“New new Doctor. I get it.” She didn’t want a repeat of New New York. “Shall we go?”

The Doctor nodded and she released him. “You look beautiful by the way.” He smiled fondly at her. “Stunning in fact. My beautiful Bella Donna.”

“Oh shut it. James Bond.” Donna rolled her eyes. 

“James Bond?” He looked down at his clothes. “Oh alright then. Does that make you my Bond girl?” 

“Oi! Watch it!” Donna glared at him. “You’d be so lucky.”

“I really would." The Doctor agreed. “I meant… did I say that out loud?” He frowned. 

“Yup.” She smirked as she pulled him through the doors of the Tardis. “Come on you prawn. Allons-y?”

“Allons-y!” He agreed. 

* * *

Martha watched the Doctor and Donna move about the room arm in arm. They were back at it with their fake married act. Martha was starting to wonder if they just travelled through time and space pretending to be married. She guessed tonight sort of made sense. Donna was the Doctor’s plus one, and the Doctor was there as Martha’s colleague from work who she knew would be fascinated by Lazarus’s work. Tish had been not best pleased when Martha had asked for an extra plus one last minute. Her whole family had assumed she’d suddenly picked up a boyfriend when she’d said she was bringing a friend at the last minute, but Donna’s presence would put those rumours to rest. Although, it would have been nice not to answer those questions for one night. It was tough always being the single one at a party. None of her family understood her need to put her job first. 

The Doctor made a grab for some canapés on a tray and Donna laughed at her ‘husband’s’ childish act. He almost spilled the tiny mouthfuls of food all down his tux as he gobbled down a whole handful. Martha rolled her eyes and started to cut across the room to her friends. 

“Hello!” Tish came bounding up to her. She was beaming from ear to ear, looking a lot less stressed than she had earlier in the day. Martha guessed the whole event was now organised so her sister could just lean back and enjoy the show. 

“Tish!” She hugged her sister, she was so so proud of her. Her baby sister looking all grown up and organising events for ground breaking scientific discoveries!

“You look great!” Tish complimented Martha happily before a serious look came across her face. “So what do you think? Impressive isn’t it?” 

“Very.” Martha said seriously. In all honesty it felt far too posh for Martha to be there. It wasn’t often she got invited to black tie events but she was happy to finally have an excuse to bring out her sparkly black dress. She’d bought it months ago on a whim and never had a chance to wear it. 

She chatted amicably with her sister for a few minutes. Her sister had absolutely no idea of the night she’d had the night before. To Tish, they’d only seen each other last night at the pub, but since then Martha had battled witches and met William Shakespeare, she’d even inspired a sonnet or two. She wondered how the Doctor managed to keep track of all the people he had met and in which order. It was bad enough with only a couple of extra days in her life.

And talk of the devil. 

The Doctor and Donna strode up to Martha and her sister. Martha introduced the pair to Tish and the Doctor got all excited about her links to Professor Lazarus, something about a sonic microfield manipulator. 

“Oh don’t mind him. This is all right up his street, a budding inventor. I can never get him out of his workshop long enough to do the dishes.” Donna patted his arm as she teased him. 

“Excuse me! I am far more than a budding inventor, darling. I am an expert!” He pouted at her and Donna reached up to kiss him chastely. 

That was new. 

Last time had been all pet names and ridiculous flirting. They’d only kissed the once and Donna had already explained that had been a genetic transfer to fool the Judoon. This kiss was more practice, more intimate, more… married. Martha raised an eyebrow as she caught Donna’s eye. Her friend would have some explaining to do later. 

“You keep telling yourself that, love.” Donna said sweetly to the blushing Doctor. 

“Martha!” Her mum came rushing up to her with Leo in tow. Martha smirked at her brother, he really had dressed up for the evening. They should take pictures to commemorate the occasion. She ran up to her mum and pulled her into a hug. She’d hadn’t realised how much she had missed her mum until she saw her again, near death experiences do that to you apparently. 

“Mum!” 

Her mum was a little taken aback by the sudden show of affection “All right, what's the occasion?”

  
Martha suddenly realised her mistake. It hadn’t been two whole days since she’d seen her mum. It had only been a day, a normal ordinary day with no witches or aliens. “What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you, that's all.” She said trying to cover up her mistake. Donna and the Doctor shared an amused look and Martha shot them both a glare. 

“You saw me last night.” Her mum insisted. 

  
“I know. I just miss you. You're looking good, Leo.” She patted her brother in the chest, hoping to change the subject. It didn’t work. Leo managed a joke but her mum would not be swayed. She started probing Martha about her evening and how she got home and she was glaring suspiciously at the Doctor. 

“Hello. I’m the Doctor and this is Donna.” He waved cheerily.

“He’s a friend from work.” Martha explained. 

“Oh is that what they call it?” Francine raised an eyebrow. 

“Mum!” Martha exclaimed scandalised. How dare she suggest such a thing in front of her family and friends? Urgh. That was weird. You don’t talk about that stuff with your parents. 

“No really." The Doctor insisted. “Just a friend from the hospital.”

“What kind of name is the Doctor anyway? Doctor what?” Francine scowled. 

“Oh that’s a new one.” Donna grinned. “Normally it’s Doctor who?” 

The Doctor rolled his eyes and bumped his shoulder against Donna. “Right yes. Sorry. Doctor John Noble.” He reached out to shake her mum’s hand but the older lady just glared at him. Martha wanted to sink into the floor. God her family were the worst. Maybe she should have taken Donna and the Doctor’s offer to travel with them a bit longer but she had felt like she was treading on their toes a little. She didn’t really want to be third wheeling them across the universe. The Doctor dropped his hand when he realised he wouldn’t be getting a handshake. “And this lovely lady, is my wife.”

“Donna Noble. Pleasure.” Donna gave her mum a big fake grin, pretending to be offended her remarks. 

Francine looked like she was about to respond with a sarcastic remark but the lights faded to darkness around them and announcement came over the speakers. 

The show was about to begin.

* * *

Donna coughed as she waved the smoke away from her face. God it stunk of burnt toast in the room now. Lazarus had been incredibly lucky that the Doctor was there to save the day. None of the scientists had had any clue how to fix the machine before it started blowing up, they’d even tried to stop the Doctor from helping. Donna was now making sure every single one of them knew she was cross with them. Every time one of them looked her way she would fix them with a fierce glare until they looked away. It was great fun. 

The Doctor was busy talking shop with the newly young man, who appeared to have taken a shine to the Jones sisters. Donna wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that. On one hand, she still thought of Lazarus as an old man even though he now resembled a much younger one. On the other hand, it wasn’t really any different to the Doctor. He was older than any human Donna had ever met and she easily accepted that about him, there was just something in his eyes that seemed ancient and timeless all at the same time, and yet she couldn’t deny her attraction to him. Apparently he hadn’t always had such an attractive face, and he’d more than once resembled an older man, just like Lazarus but Donna couldn’t bring herself to care.

Still, with Lazarus it was weird. Perhaps it was because he acted like a sleazy old man. At least the Doctor had a boyish charm about him. 

“So your husband really works with my Martha?” Donna jumped as Francine Jones had sidled up beside her with her realising. 

“Yeah.” Donna lied. “We were all in The Royal Hope Hospital when it disappeared.” At least that was true. “I chose the wrong day to visit him in his lunch break.” Donna faked a laugh. 

Francine did not laugh. She was staring coldly at the Doctor. Donna raised an eyebrow as she followed her gaze. Lazarus had just kissed Martha’s hand and Donna wrinkled her nose in disgust. Nope. That was definitely weird, not that he fancied Martha. Blimey that girl was gorgeous and men seemed to fall in love with her throughout time. Shakespeare for one had been completely smitten by the younger doctor. It was weird that Lazarus was being all flirty with girls half his age, right in front of his wife as well! 

“She’s never mentioned him before.” Francine replied sternly.

“I don’t think they talked much before the moon.” Donna suggested. “Nothing like a life or death experience to bring people closer.” She shrugged. 

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Francine insisted. 

“What?”

“Them.” Francine nodded to where the Doctor and Martha were grinning madly at each other. Donna should probably follow them, the Doctor had that look in his eyes that he had when he was about to run off on a mad adventure but Francine had grabbed her arm. 

“Does it bother me that my husband has female friends?” Donna glared at the older woman. God she knew Francine’s husband had cheated on her but talk about trust issues. “No. It does not. It bothers me that you think that your daughter would try something on with a married man. It bothers me…” Donna pulled her arm away "That you are judging my husband, a man you have never met and who probably just saved your life, based on nothing but speculation and lies concocted in your own tiny head. It _bothers _me that you and your ex-husband can’t keep your own troubles away from your children. It bothers me!” Donna was yelling now "That you treat your own daughter like a therapist in your childish family arguments, but does it bother me that my husband has found a friend at work?” Donna laughed. “You moron.” She laughed angrily and stormed away from Martha’s mother. 

In hindsight, perhaps she could have acted a little kinder to her friend’s mother, but the lady was a right cow. Donna always wished she’d had someone who would stand up to her own mother, someone on her side other than her gramps. She’d been saddled with Nerys instead. Perky, simpering Nerys, whose mother was in constant battle with Sylvia over who was more successful as a parent. It made Donna want to tear her hair out. 

She turned back to where the Doctor and Martha had been standing but they’d vanished. Donna sighed. “Well that’s just brilliant.” She muttered sarcastically. “Now if I was a genius alien looking for answers about a genius human where would I go?” She asked herself. 

She looked around the room. It wasn’t an ordinary event venue, like an old banquet hall or marquee. No. This was Lazarus’s place, his laboratories. His machine had probably been too fragile to move out of the lab so he’d hosted the event right where he’d built the machine. That meant there were probably tons of labs around the place for all the geeky research his lab rats had done to make his dream a reality. Donna would bet laundry duty for a week that that was where the Doctor and young Martha Jones had run off to. With two medical experts, they really didn’t need another pair of eyes, especially, Donna’s. She wouldn’t have a clue what she was looking at anyway. Not to mention the thought of stepping foot into another lab after her own tests in the Tardis made her feel a little queasy. 

No. She would do her own enquiries. The Doctor would be looking for what Lazarus had been trying to create, what effects the machine would have on his body, how the miracle had been performed. Donna wanted to know why.

Had he been named Lazarus at birth? Or was it a chosen name, like the Doctor? Donna couldn’t believe that this was all coincidence, a man called Lazarus that would rise from the dead, a man who wanted to become immortal. No he’d chosen that identity. She was sure of it, if only she could work out why. What was motivating this madness? It couldn’t just be greed and too much money could it? 

Well, she supposed it could but where was the story in that?

Donna caught sight of Lazarus and his wife walking through some doors that looked like they led upstairs. Donna looked around her to check that no one was watching, then she pulled off her shoes, the heels would make too much noise on the hard floor, and she snuck off after them. 

The corridors all looked the same, white and sterile, like something out of a sci-fi film. Although, the whole Lazarus thing was straight out of a sci-fi film too so she supposed it was fitting. She followed the couple from a distance, poking her head out around the corners and then shuffling quickly through the corridors. Take that James Bond! 

Of course she almost gave the game away when she barrelled into the last room after them to finding them staring out of the window. She had to smother a gasp with her hand and she stood there frozen to the spot, hoping they wouldn’t notice her reflection in the glass. To be safe she dropped to the floor and crawled to hide behind a bin. Very slowly, she poked her head over the top of the bin so she could try and hear what they were saying. 

Lazarus took a sip of his drink and stared out over the city. “I grew up over there” He said taking a sip of his drink. “A tiny flat above a butcher's shop.”

Donna stifled a laugh. She’d hit the jackpot. This was exactly the information she was after! A little reminiscing, a reminder of what it meant to be human. Oh she was going to lord this over the Doctor when she caught up with him. Take that science boy!

“It'll have a blue plaque soon. Richard Lazarus lived here.” Lazarus’s wife replied proudly, she was old money. Donna could just tell. She had that air about her, that snobbery that you could never quite learn. Not that Donna had ever had enough money to need to worry about that, but she’d could fit in with any crowd if you gave her enough drinks, even the upper class. 

  
“It's gone. Destroyed in the war. The bombing.” He answered darkly, Donna could see there was no love lost between the pair of them. They were both using each other. All those years married and they were still just using each other. It was disgusting.

“Of course.”

  
“1940. Do you remember?” He asked his wife. “Night after night. Explosions, guns, firestorm.”

Donna had seen this look before in the Doctor. Whenever he spoke of Gallifrey or of Rose or other friends that were gone, lost to him. The way Lazarus was speaking. It was a man that was haunted by his past, past full of so much hate and destruction. Donna had listened to her gramps speak about his time as a soldier. He’d never even killed a man but she could see the experience had never left him. To this day he was still very much a soldier first, but the World Wars… God they must have been terrible. It wasn’t just a fight in a far away country. The fight came to British soil. Even civilians were affected. How many more men like Lazarus were out there? Desperate to fight the death that had haunted their childhoods.

  
“My parents had sent me to the country by then.” Lazarus’s wife answered, cold and unfeeling. God she really had no idea, did she? She had no idea what it was like to watch people dying all around you, to watch them burn. Donna clamped her hand over her mouth as her vision blurred. Images of Pompeii blinded her and she could almost feel the heat of the volcano on her skin, the taste of sulphur in her mouth. 

Get a grip! She thought to herself firmly. 

“When the sirens went, we'd go to the cathedral there.” Lazarus gestured out of the window. “We used to shelter in the crypt. The living cowering among the dead.”

Donna smirked. Bingo. She knew it! That man had some serious issues with death. He was a genius. She couldn’t deny that but god he needed some therapy not all this money and a quick fix it machine. 

“But look at what you've built here, now. You've laid the foundations for an empire. An empire we can rule together.” Donna recoiled slightly as the couple kissed. It just looked so wrong, and Lazarus clearly thought so too. He grimaced and wiped the bright pink lipstick from his lips. If Donna truly believed they loved each other she might have felt sorry for the old lady. If they’d loved each maybe it wouldn’t have made Donna feel so uncomfortable with the obvious age difference.

“Well, what's wrong?” The older lady asked dumbly.

  
To Donna’s horror, Lazarus grabbed her frail looking face harshly and forced her to look in the window at her reflection. “Look at yourself, woman.” He spat out bitterly.

* * *

Martha ran after the Doctor. Her mind was reeling from what she’d seen on the screens. She’d never seen DNA like it. It was morphing, pulsing, mutating right in front of their eyes. The Doctor had commented on the amount of food the Professor had scoffed down, something about an energy deficit following the transformation of his molecular structure, he’d seen it before but to Martha it was all completely alien, and she’d thought she gotten pretty good at that over the last few days. 

But something was wrong. Lazarus was still unstable which made him unpredictable which made him dangerous. Oh God, her family were here. How was she going to explain all of this to her family? They still didn’t believe she’d been to the moon and that had been on the news! She had to make sure they were safe. She tried calling her mum but she didn’t pick up, neither did Tish or Leo. 

“Ah!” She screamed as she stuffed her phone back in her pocket. 

“You alright?" The Doctor asked. 

“They aren’t picking up! They need to get out of here.” Martha grumbled, why were her family so infuriating? “Aren’t you worried about Donna?” She asked.

“Donna?" The Doctor looked up and then suddenly spun around to look for his friend. “Oh…”

“You didn’t notice she wasn’t here?” Martha laughed. “Seriously?”

“Well I was busy! Not everyday a human man regenerates!" The Doctor protested. “Oh I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s Donna. It’s not like she’s gone after Lazarus anyway. She’s probably still by the champagne table. She’s always saying I don’t treat her enough. It’s always running away and saving people. Not enough parties and champagne tables." The Doctor rambled on.

“Is that why you’re fake married again?” Martha asked. “Who’s idea was that anyway?”

“Mine. Why?" The Doctor frowned at her question. “How else was I supposed to get both of us in here?”

“Oh I don’t know. Business associate, fellow science geek.” Martha suggested. 

“Are we talking about the same Donna? Because my Donna can’t even change a plug." The Doctor laughed. 

“I’m just saying. I’ve never known any friends to fake marriage as much as you two. Why don’t you just ask her out?” Martha teased him. To her surprise the Doctor’s eyes went wide and he instantly turned redder than a tomato. 

“What!?” He spluttered.

“God, I was only joking.” Martha giggled but he didn’t laugh. “Oh my god you actually do fancy her don’t you!”

“No." The Doctor protested. 

“You do! That’s why you keep on acting married. I bet it’s always your idea too isn’t it?” Martha beamed. This was just brilliant. 

“No! No. It’s actually not. Not all of the time. Sometimes Donna starts it. Wait does that mean she fancies me too?” He asked frantically. “I mean… not too. Not too! Because that would imply I fancied her first which I don’t. She’s my best mate. Friend. Best friend!” the Doctor jabbed at the button for the lift repeatedly. “Stupid thing!” He yelled and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. 

“This is perfect. You’re just like a human bloke with a crush!” Martha teased as he buzzed the button. 

“DOCTOR!!” Donna shrieked as she came flying out of the lift. “Oh my god am I glad to see you!” She flung her arms around him.

“Donna!” He cried as he caught her. “Are you alright?”

“No I’m not bloody alright!” She yelled as she buried her face in his neck. “He killed her. Lazarus. Oh my god, Doctor it was horrible. I was hiding so he didn’t see me but… he just… he turned into this monster! Like a giant scorpion with a human face!”

Donna was crying into the Doctor’s jacket and the Time Lord was stroking her hair soothingly. “It’s ok. It’s his DNA. It’s still mutating. We’ll stop him, love. We always do.”

“She’s just shrivelled up, like a mummy.” Donna sobbed. “It was horrible.”

“The energy deficit?” Martha asked. 

“Yeah, probably. I need to examine the body. Donna you go with Martha, try and find Lazarus and evacuate the building. I will be down as soon as I can." The Doctor said firmly. Donna nodded and wiped her face, taking a step back from the Doctor. 

“Yeah. Ok. Wait! Why are we chasing the monster?” Donna asked incredulously. “Isn’t that your job, Alien Boy?”

“He’s not necessarily a monster. You saw the DNA.” He looked at Martha. “It was fluctuating.”

“He’s still changing?” Martha surmised. 

“Exactly. If we can find him whilst he’s still human, maybe we can reason with him. Donna, I know you just saw him kill Lady Thaw but I need you. I need you to do this for me." The Doctor cupped her face in his hands. “Ok?”

“Fine. But if we end up as scorpion food, you are telling my mother! And hers… oh I may have insulted you mum, Martha. In my defence she was being a complete arse.” Donna smiled apologetically. 

“No change there.” Martha laughed. “Hurry up with the body, Doctor. We’ll meet you back in the foyer in five yeah?”

“Five minutes. No more, no less.” He grinned and jumped into the lift. “Good luck!”

* * *

The Doctor scanned Lady Thaw’s lifeless body. Donna was right. It was completely drained of energy. It must have been horrific to watch. He scowled as he analysed the readings from his sonic screwdriver. She’d been dead about ten minutes, which fit in with their timeline of Donna running to meet them on the lower levels. 

And oooh that was interesting. He was picking up residue energy readings from whatever Lazarus had changed into. It was… human? No… not quite. Almost human. Human if humans had evolved fractionally different millions of years ago. Fascinating! 

He stuck his tongue out and tasted the air. Oh yes. Definitely a long lost evolution. More lizard? No. Scorpion! Clever Donna! He grimaced. The residue energy from the molecular transformation left a bitter taste on his tongue, not too dissimilar to regeneration energy. 

“Urgh!” He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think humanity wants to know what you’ve changed into Professor Lazarus. Oh five minutes! I’m late!” He jumped up as his mental timer went off. He had to go and meet Donna and Martha downstairs. He hastily jabbed the lift button, he’d spent too much time in lifts today. Tardis travel. Nothing beats it. 

The lift binged and he step inside. He rolled his eyes at the ridiculous music that filled the small little room and pointed his screwdriver up at the ceiling. The song changed to some lovely country sounding tune, much better. If he was going to be stuck in a lift all day then at least the music was going to be bearable. 

It was only a short journey back down the building but to him it felt like forever, trapped in a tiny not bigger on the inside box. He shuffled uncomfortably, at least it wasn’t spraying him with disinfectant. He’d gotten pretty good at sort his hair out with the air blowers but he’d rather not get drenched today. 

His mind wandered back to his conversation with Martha. 

Why did he keep getting them into situations where everyone thought they were married? 

Occasionally they denied it, but even on those occasions people just assumed. So it was easier to just let them think it, plus they’d played the part so many times now that it was almost their routine. Land on a new planet, or time and then they get to be married, or dating at least. On one memorable, and unpleasant occasion, they’d been mistaken for brother and sister. Donna had laughed at that one whilst the Doctor just glared at the innocent civilian. They looked nothing alike. It was preposterous, luckily for him, their reaction had meant they’d instantly been thrown back into a dating game. 

It was more fun that way. 

And now he got to snog Donna that way.

Ok, so maybe Martha had a point, but he thought he’d been pretty clever at hiding his feelings. He’d told Donna at least a dozen times that they were best friends, he even said he loved her because she was his best friend. He was certain that his Donna had no idea of the true extent of his feelings. 

But what if she did feel the same way back?

Was he hurting her by not being truthful?

But what if he told her and she didn’t want to travel with him anymore? He was certain that she thought Lazarus was acting like a creepy old man, what made him any different? He was even older then Lazarus!

Bing!

The lift landed on the bottom floor and Martha and Donna ran straight into him.

“They’ve gone upstairs!” Donna yelled.

“He’s got Tish!” Martha shouted at the same time. 

The Doctor almost fell over as his arms were suddenly full of Donna and Martha. Donna reached across him to push the button for the top floor. “Don’t just stand there! Sonic it!” She yelled. 

He fumbled for his screwdriver, almost dropping it on the floor and aimed it at the panel. It crackled sparks as he managed to resonate the inner workings of the lift. That should give it a bit of a boost. The lift sparked to life, the doors barely shut in time before the lift shot upwards. Martha screamed and Donna fell into him. He caught her happily. 

“Hi.” He grinned down at her. “You come here often?”

“Only Thursday evenings and every other Monday from eleven til twelve” Donna winked. 

“Ah that explains it. I only come every other Sunday and Friday evenings." The Doctor grinned. 

“Are you two done?” Martha raised an eyebrow as the lift doors opened. They were on the top floor… again. 

“Yup!" The Doctor said quickly and straightened his bowtie, stupid thing. 

“Done with what?” Donna said at the same time innocently and marched out of the elevator, steadfastly avoiding looking at the legs peaking out from behind the desk. 

The Doctor took her hand with ease, linking their fingers. Her hand was warm between his fingers, it wasn’t the same as touching her temples but almost instantly he could feel the barrier of her mind. It would be so simple to just push through into her mind, to be able to comfort her without Martha listening in, but she had seemed a little shaken by it all this morning so he resisted. Even if she did take to the whole telepath thing like a Time Lord. He’d never seen a human who had been able to push back in the way that she had, apart from, perhaps, Reinette.

Donna glanced up at him with a sad fond smile. She would be ok. She always was, but that didn’t make it any easier. He often wondered why his companions put up with so much death and destruction and pain just to see the stars. He loved it, the thrill of adrenaline, the danger, the running but there were certainly much easier ways to see the wonders of the universe, landing on Sundays for example. Although if that Sunday was Christmas Day in London then all bets were off. 

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the area. There was no sign of Lazarus in the room anymore, he must have taken the second lift and managed to somehow avoid both the Doctor and his companions. 

“Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up.” He muttered as he scanned the area, staring intently at the readings the sonic was giving off. That was the residue energy signature from earlier, no good. Come on, come on, come on! There! The wavelengths the sonic was giving out started to shimmer as he pointed the device upwards. “Got it!”

“Where?” Donna asked. The Doctor nodded towards the ceiling where he was aiming the screwdriver. “But this is the top floor!” She frowned.

“The roof!” Martha realised and they ran to the stairs. 

* * *

Martha was regretting her choice in footwear. She really should have realised they would be running for their lives down endless flights of stairs. Still all those years playing dress up in her mum’s room with Leo were paying off. She could run in heels better than should have been possible, although Leo still had the edge on her. Not that she was allowed to tell anyone about that. He was very easily embarrassed about those early days before Tish came along. She noticed Donna’s shoes were nowhere to be seen. That was the sensible option but it was too late for that now. 

They reached the bottom floor in record speed. The Doctor flung her his sonic screwdriver and she ran for the exit. “Setting fifty four.” She muttered under her breath on repeat. What did that even mean? Donna was desperately trying to get people to listen to the Doctor and leave but no one believed them until it was too late. Martha heard a crash and snarl behind her. She kept her finger on the button of the sonic as she twisted it round until the tiny panel glowed to say she reached the right setting. She looked over at her shoulder to see Lazarus crashing into the rooms. 

Everyone was screaming and suddenly there was a mob of people behind her, trying to burst through the doors. She could barely breathed as her body was pushed up against the glass but she kept working at the lock on the door. 

“DOCTOR!” She heard Donna yell above the screams.

“NO! Get away from her!!" The Doctor shouted back but he was too late. High pitched screams filled the air, Martha heard the squelching of flesh and the crack of bones. Lazarus had killed someone. Oh God… what if it was Donna?

The door swung open under her fingers and she sighed with relief. “Over here! This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!” She yelled as crowds of people pushed past her to get out. She was almost trampled in the chaos but that didn’t matter. She had to find Donna and the Doctor. Donna had to be alright. She just had to be. 

Martha fought her way back through the crowd and into the room. To her relief Donna was pressed up against a wall, directing people to the exit. She kept looking back to the Doctor who was on the opposite side of the room in front of Lazarus’s machine. On the floor was a shrivelled corpse wearing a fancy dress, that explained the screams. Martha felt a wave of guilt when she realised she’d been relieved it wasn’t someone she knew, but that didn’t matter. Someone had still died. 

She spotted Leo and her mother cowering on the floor. Leo was injured! She had to get to him, but Lazarus had seen them too, easy prey. His giant skeletal body turned towards the pair on the floor and Martha couldn’t breathe. He was going to kill them!

“Oi! Scorpion Boy!” Donna yelled. Lazarus hesitated and turned away from Leo and her mum. “Yeah that’s it! Over here you great big lizard!”

“DONNA!" The Doctor shouted “DON’T!” 

Lazarus turned to face Donna who was staring him down with a look of sheer determination on her face. Martha took advantage of his distraction and ran to her brother. He looked dazed and disorientated, probably concussion. He must have been hit by some of the debris. 

“I know why you’re doing this Lazarus!” Donna shouted as Martha tried to get Leo to focus on her to no avail. Definitely concussion, and the beginnings of a nasty lump swelling up on his head, but no bleeding and no obvious signs of serious internal damage. “You grew up with bombs falling on your head. Your friends and family all destroyed by the Nazis, human bodies are so frail! Am I right?” 

“Donna, stop this now!" The Doctor pleaded. 

“But this isn’t the way! Lazarus can’t you see what you’re doing! People are dying! People have died! Because of you!” Donna ignored him. “You wanted to change what it meant to be human? Well congratulations! You’re a monster. Your experiment failed! You failed!” 

Lazarus roared and Donna ran, fast with Lazarus tearing after her.

“DONNA!!" The Doctor raced after the pair of them.

Martha wanted desperately to chase after them but she was needed here. The Doctor had said to evacuate the building and Martha would do her best to make sure no one else died here tonight. She passed a handful of wrapped ice to her mother for Leo’s head and raced towards the front door. If Donna and the Doctor were buying them time then they had to use every last second of it. 

* * *

Donna could barely control her breathing. Her heart was racing in her chest and she snuck through the back rooms of the building. The pipes were hissing and creaking around her. She could hear the clinking of Lazarus’s exoskeleton moving around her. Oh God what had she been thinking? She didn’t know what she was doing. She’d just seen that monster turn towards Martha’s family and she’d panicked. She couldn’t let them die. It wasn’t fair. 

Something grabbed her from behind and she tried to scream, but the sound was muffled by a hand covering her mouth. She kicked back with her arms as she tried to escape but whoever it was strong.

“Hey shhh. Donna." The Doctor whispered in her ear. “It’s me. You’re alright.” He let her go once she fell limp in his arms. 

“Doctor.” She turned round to hug him tightly. 

“Shh…” He put his finger to his lips and glanced upwards to where they could hear Lazarus moving above them. 

“It's no good, Doctor, Donna. You can't stop me.” Lazarus’s eery monstrous voice echoed through the pipes. 

Donna was about to shout a retort when the Doctor covered her mouth again. “Hmmph.” She glared at him. 

“Is that the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong with your device?" The Doctor called back and then took Donna’s hand, pulling her slowly through the dank corridor. 

“The arrogance is yours. You can't stand in the way of progress.” Lazarus hissed back ominously.

“You call feeding on innocent people progress?” Donna yelled back before the Doctor could stop her. “You're delusional, Scorpion boy!” To her surprise the Doctor actually smirked back at her as if she’d taken the words right out of his mouth. 

“It is a necessary sacrifice.” 

“That's not your decision to make!" The Doctor called back. 

The pipes above them creaked loudly and began to warp out of shape. That was… not good? the Doctor tugged at her hand and the carried on sneaking through the dark damp corridors, ducking under and between old metal pipes and past glowing electrical boxes. Lazarus stopped responding but every so often Donna would catch sight of a large shadow, pointing it out to the Doctor, or they would hear a clattering from around the corner. More than once Donna almost got blasted with a face full of steam but she just about managed to avoid it. 

The lights above them suddenly clicked on, bathing them in a soft yellow glow. She stared at the Doctor for a second before they both looked up. 

Lazarus had found them.

“Peak-a-boo” He hissed.

“Oooh." The Doctor gaped up at the monster as Lazarus began to unhinge his jaw. “Hello.”

Lazarus snarled in response and raised his sharp taloned tail. 

“RUN!" The Doctor yelled and pulled Donna away just in time. Lazarus lunged for the empty space they had just been occupying. 

They ran for the door and along the corridors of the facility until they reached a laboratory. Donna slammed the door behind them. “Aren’t you going to sonic it shut or something?!” She yelled to him. 

“Martha’s got it. We’ve got to be cleverer than that this time, Donna.” He scowled as he frantically turned around to survey the room. 

“Oh, goody!” She muttered sarcastically.

He jumped up and pulled something off the wall. “Gas pipes, Donna! Get them all open! Now!” He yelled as he began to fiddle with something up on the wall. 

Donna turned around. The room reminded her of her old school chemistry lab. There were tiny little taps all over the desks and bright orange tubes. She nodded and began to run around the room, flipping all the taps to open and pulling out the tubes. A low hissing began to fill the room. She really hoped the Doctor knew where he was going with this, if they weren’t lucky they would end up being barbecued. 

The Doctor leapt down from the table and helped Donna flip the remaining switches before pulling her down under a table just as Lazarus burst into the room. The Doctor flashed Donna a mad grin as they looked at each other. She rolled her eyes but smiled back. Her mad man and his box, she couldn’t believe she was actually enjoying this. She was going to die one of these days, she was sure of it but she wouldn’t change a single second. They were making a difference to the universe and that was all Donna had ever wanted. 

“More hide and seek, Doctor?” Lazarus called out. “How disappointing.”

The Doctor gestured to the door at the far end of the room and they started to creep towards it, occasionally popping their heads up above the desks to watch out for where Lazarus was stalking around the room. 

“Why don't you come out and face me?” He hissed. 

The Doctor nodded to Donna and she hurried towards the door as he stood up to distract the beast. 

“Have you looked in the mirror lately? Why would I want to face that, hmm?” He called out, making sure Lazarus’s eyes were on him and away from Donna. 

“Ooh nice one.” Donna laughed. 

The Doctor turned round and flashed her a huge grin. “Run!” 

He ran to join her by the door and slammed the light switches as they burst through the doors. He tugged at her hand, pulling her faster away from the room. They barely got far enough away before the lab exploded. They were flung forward from the sudden wave of energy behind them. Donna shrieked as she flailed towards the floor. They always made this look so cool in the movies, she probably looked like a fish out of water, unlike the Doctor who was doing his best impression of James Bond. 

The Doctor helped to pull her to her feet and they charged through the corridors away from the lab and smack bang into Martha who was running in the other direction with the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver in her hand. 

“Martha!” Donna cried. 

“What was that?” Martha cried as she hugged Donna. “I heard an explosion!”

“Oh that. That was us. Blasted Lazarus." The Doctor winked at the younger woman. 

“I always wanted to blow up the lab at school.” Donna laughed. 

“Did you kill him?” Martha asked as she handed over the sonic screwdriver to the Doctor.

Before either of them could answer, Lazarus roared behind them as he smashed through the corridor. 

“More sort of annoyed him, I’d say!" The Doctor yelled and they all turned to run.

* * *

“Martha." The Doctor yelled to the young med student as the tore through the corridors. “When we get downstairs I need you to get out. Quick as you can. Don’t let him see you!” 

“What?!” Martha yelled back at him. “What are you gonna do?” 

“I have a plan but it won’t work with all three of us. I’ll distract him. Just get out!” He replied. His mind was racing through all the possible scenarios. This wasn’t going to end well, no matter what he did it always ended with death. Lazarus’s body was rejecting the change and his mind was going insane with the fluctuation of his DNA. The man was now more monster than human and he wouldn’t stop. He’d have to keep killing people if they couldn’t stabilise the DNA but the longer he stayed in Scorpion form, the less likely they were to be able to reason with him long enough to do that. It was going to be Lazarus or humanity and the Doctor knew what he would choose. 

God he knew he shouldn’t have worn this tux! 

Maybe if he had just worn his pinstripes he would have been able to get to Lazarus before he went inside the machine. How many people could he have saved? 

They burst into the room with Lazarus hot on their tail. Martha dove to the side of the room. 

“Oi! Professor X!” Donna yelled and waved her arms at the monster. “Over here!”

Lazarus roared and clambered towards her. The Doctor saw Martha creep out the front door and then he pulled Donna into the sonic microfield manipulation chamber just in time as Lazarus launched his bony body towards her. Donna didn’t even blink at the monster she had stared down for the second time. The Doctor felt his hearts race in his chest, his brilliant Donna. He was so proud of her. So brave, so desperately to save every life she could. 

“What’s this then? Seven minutes of heaven?” Donna teased as they were squished into the tight space. 

The Doctor felt his mind cut out as he imagined what that might entail. Donna’s lips against his, her body pressed up against him. 

Nope! 

Best not think about that. Not when they were so close together, not when all he could smell was her sweet seductive vanilla shampoo. Not when she looked so utterly irresistible in that silky emerald green ball gown. He decided to ignore her question entirely. There was no way he’d be able to respond with out making a complete fool of himself. 

“This is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us.” He muttered. 

“Right… And then what?” Donna asked. “Because right now, it looked like we’re trapped. Sitting ducks.”

“Well, yeah, that's a slight problem.” He admitted. Come on, Doctor, think! 

He’d been in tighter spots than this before. He could do this. He even had his sonic screwdriver back. Now if he could just work out the solution before Lazarus realised he could do something very very clever.

Think!

It was no good. His body felt like it was on fire. He could feel every inch of Donna’s body pushed up against him.

No! Think about something else!

Her soft ginger hair falling gently around her face, her cheeks flushed from all the exertion. 

THINK!

“Oh my God, you don’t have a plan!” Donna yelled. “I thought you said you had a plan!”

“The plan was to get inside here!" The Doctor yelled back.

“Oh, the plan was to get inside here. Of course it was.” Donna whack him over the back of the head. “You dumbo!”

“Hey!” He cried and he rubbed his head. 

“Fix it!” Donna glared at him. “Can’t you… I don’t know. Reverse the polarity or something?”

“What?!” He stared at her, how did she? Did she know how often he’d said those words?

“Oh I don’t know! It just sounded clever!” Donna yelled. 

“Reverse the polarity? Oooh wait!" The Doctor had an idea. If he could reflect the energy from inside the machine so that it would burst outwards it might just take down Lazarus. If they were lucky it would reverse the entire process and he would become ordinarily human again, worst case scenario it would kill him. Either way, they would be less trapped and he would save the day. 

He reached into his jacket, pushing even closer to Donna in the tiny space. 

“Oi! Hands!” Donna yelled. 

“Sorry! Sorry!” He muttered, if he could just reach.. yes! There we go! Sonic! “This is going to look worse than it is.” He mumbled. 

“What?!” Donna asked incredulously as he shuffled down to the floor so he could reach the grates at the bottom of the machine. “Doctor!” She protested.

“I’m not looking! I just need to…” He resonated the panel on the floor until it sprung loose. “There we go.” He focussed on the panel, desperately trying to ignore his position. Maybe if they were playing seven minutes in heaven this would have a very different ending…

No.

Focus!

He could hear Lazarus circling the machine and snarling as he tried to figure out a way to get to them inside without destroying his precious machine. 

“So how did that sonic stuff make Professor X out there into a giant Scorpion? Is he alien?” Donna asked.

The Doctor glanced up at her, and smiled fondly. God she was beautiful.

“No, for once it's strictly human in origin." The Doctor replied as he tried to concentrate on the small wires in his hands.

“Human? How can it be human?” Donna laughed. 

“Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them, and it looks like they're becoming dominant.” He tried to explain in as basic terminology as possible so Donna could understand. 

“You’re joking?” 

“Nope! It’s probably some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake.” He explained quickly, glancing up from the wires to make sure she was alright before focussing back on his work. It wasn’t working fast enough. Any moment now Lazarus would realised exactly what they had trapped themselves in and if the Doctor couldn’t reverse the microfield manipulator soon enough, then they would both be toast. Well… Donna would be some strange scorpion creature, Rassilon knows what effect it would have on Time Lord DNA, maybe some kind of forced regeneration. He scowled. He wasn’t ready for that just yet. He liked being him. Being him was fun. What if his next regeneration didn’t like fun! or hugs! He glared. That would be the worst. 

“So it’s some kind of historical dinosaur human that never existed?” Donna asked. “Like something out of Jurassic Park?”

“More like Pandora’s box.” He mused. “Any one of those options could have come out of his genes. For some reason, Lazarus got this one." The Doctor focussed the screwdriver on the next set of wires before he realised something was missing. “What happened to your shoes?” 

“What?” Donna asked bewildered. 

“Your shoes? They’re gone.” He pouted. “They were good shoes, really suited you.”

“Have you tried running in heels?” Donna barked at him. “They were making too much noise when I was trying to sneak up on Lazarus.” 

“Shame. Oh come on!” He yelled as the sonic continued to whir. Why was it taking this long? It never took this long. This was child’s play, it should have taken him less than a minute. 

The machine around them burst into light. 

“Doctor!” Donna yelled. 

“I know!” He yelled back. 

“Hurry up, spaceman!”

“Stop yelling at me and I might work faster” He snapped back in frustration. 

“Don’t you get sassy with me, Alien Boy!” Donna whacked him over the back of the head.

“Ow!” He grumbled.

“If we get blended I am going to kick your arse right out of heaven.” Donna muttered as the machine span louder and brighter around them. The sonic waves made his head spin and he felt a little nauseous. 

“That’s not helping, Donna.” He frowned. “Come on, just one more!” He flipped the panel in his hands. 

There was a loud bang and the machine stilled into silence. The Doctor stared up at Donna and then glanced around the small chamber. 

“Did we kill him?” Donna whispered into the air. 

“I don’t know.” He admitted as he took a deep breath. “Help me up will you?”

If he tried to stand up on his own he would probably end up putting his hands somewhere where he really shouldn’t. Donna hoisted him up by his shoulders awkwardly. He still managed to tumble into her as he lost his balance. Their lips were mere centimetres away from touching. His breath caught in his throat. It would be so easy to kiss her, without an audience or pretence. Just them, the Doctor and Donna. Her pupils were dilated and he could hear her heart hammering in her chest. Her lone single heart beat, so full of love and compassion. 

“We should…” She breathed shakily, the warmth of her breath flooding his senses. A spell that was almost impossible to break. 

“Yeah. We should…” He agreed as he swallowed. 

Neither of them moved an inch. The Doctor could see two variations of the scenario clear as day in his mind. In one version Donna would reach up pulled him into a searing passionate kiss, like she had in the bar. Her hands reaching up to tug at his hair, sending shocks all through his body. He would pull her closer to him as he finally got to claim her lips with his. He was certain he wouldn’t be able to maintain the mental barriers between them anymore, not with her body and mind so close to him. He would be able to feel her, to know exactly what affect he had on her, would she love him back? 

Or version two.

The version that came to pass as Martha pulled open the door to the chamber with panicked expression on her face. 

“Doctor, Donna! Oh my god are you two alright?” She screamed as she yanked open the door. 

The Doctor inhaled sharply and put as much distance as he could between him and Donna. 

“Yeah. We’re fine.” Donna snapped. “Just peachy. Almost got blended by a murderous regeneration chamber but apart from that, fine.” 

“Right as rain." The Doctor agreed fighting back a blush. “Oh look!” He ran over to where Lazarus was lying dead on the floor. 

“He looks so human.” Donna sighed. 

“He always was.” He reminded her with a sad half smile. 

“It’s pitiful.” Martha added quietly.

“This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper." The Doctor recited sombrely, thinking it probably wasn’t a good time to point out that he helped write that one. He’d let Eliot take the credit for tonight. 

* * *

It was supposed to over! Why was it still not over? How many more people had to die before the Professor stopped his rampage? Martha gasped as she tried to catch her breath, why did it have to be the tallest part of the bell tower? It couldn’t have just been the first set of stairs. Donna had suggested the cathedral after they’d found the ambulance crewed dead. Apparently, Lazarus had been reminiscing about his childhood and the cathedral had seemed like some kind of sanctuary during the war. 

Something Lazarus had confirmed once they finally caught up to him. He looked so small, wrapped up in the red wooden blanket. Martha had thought that for a moment there he might actually give himself up, let the Doctor help him. If anyone could help stabilise his DNA it would be the Doctor and the Tardis. He was bound to have a medical bay somewhere on that brilliant ship of his. 

But some things are not meant to be. He wanted to feed again and Martha wasn’t going to let Donna or the Doctor risk their lives again. They’d done enough. She refused to be sidelined again. She’d got them into this mess, she was going to help them get out of it. So she’d used herself as bait to lure him up to the clock tower. To both Martha and the Doctor’s dismay, Donna had chased after her. Leaving him down by the altar, alone, trusting him to work out whatever plan he had to fix this. 

And by plan he apparently meant organ practice. 

Martha ducked as Lazarus took a swing at her. Whatever the Doctor was doing, he wasn’t doing it fast enough. 

“Martha watch out!” Donna cried and Lazarus’s tail swiped back in her direction. 

She dove out of the way but the tail crashed through the wooden rails and she lost her footing. She screamed as fell towards the concrete floor. She managed to catch herself but barely. It was taking every bit of energy she had to keep herself from falling to her death, and to make matters worse the Doctor only started playing the organ even louder. It wasn’t a bad tune, if she wasn’t about to die then she could have probably appreciated the man’s talent but it was making it very difficult to hold on. She could feel the deep bass resonating in her bones. 

“Oi! Get away from her!” Donna picked up part of the broken beam and swung it at Lazarus but he didn’t notice. He was too busy trying to get to Martha. She screamed again as her gripped slipped slightly. 

The organ got impossibly louder and Donna clasped her hands over her ears. Martha squeezed her eyes shut as she desperately held on to the floor. God, her mother was right. Death and destruction follows the Doctor. She heard Lazarus snarl painfully and then a flurry of air as he fell past her. The crash as he hit the floor was sickening. Martha’s muscles were burning, she couldn’t hold on any longer, not even the adrenaline could help her now. She was going to fall. She was going to die. 

“Martha!” Donna yelled as she grabbed her arm, just in the nick of time. “It’s alright! I’ve got you!”

“Oh my god!” Martha gasped as she somehow, with Donna’s help managed to pull herself back onto the tower floor. 

“DONNA!!" The Doctor yelled from below. “MARTHA!!”

“OI SPACEMAN!” Donna shouted back. 

“We’re ok!” Martha clarified as she clung onto Donna’s arms. “We’re both ok!”

What a day.

* * *

Donna was exhausted. It was exhilarating. Every last second of it, but god did she need a nap. They were once again stood outside Martha’s house to say goodbye to their friend, and sometime companion. 

“You sure we can’t tempt you?" The Doctor laughed as Martha hugged them both. 

“You’re both mental. You know that right?” She teased him. 

“Mad man with a box. Mental is part of the job description.” He ran his hands through his hair. Donna wished he would stop doing that, she was beginning to find it all incredibly distracting. Did he realise how much she wanted to do that again? It always took her right back to the pub, when she’d managed to snog the living daylights out of him. All their kisses since had been quick, short and sweet. All of them lacked the fire and passion that was burning between them. 

She wondered what would have happened in the chamber if Martha hadn’t of interrupted. She’d been sure the Doctor had been about to kiss her. He’d had this burning intensity in his eyes like he wanted to devour her, good lord it was enticing. 

“Oh yeah. What about Donna? She’s not a mad man in a box?” Martha joked. 

“Someone has to stop him.” Donna grinned. “You should come with us. You were amazing today.”

“Me? Nah. I just followed you.” Martha shook her head. 

“You were! You are a star Martha Jones." The Doctor insisted. “Come on. One trip!”

“Ooh what about space, spaceman?” Donna suggested. “Much better than stinky old London.”

“Space?” Martha asked.

“Big old proper space ship." The Doctor agreed. “Some of us don’t appreciate how good we have it on the Tardis.” He gave Donna a pointed look and she rolled her eyes.

“It’s not my fault she keeps messing thermostat in my room!” Donna protested. 

“Well, you do like to sleep in an ice castle! Some of us like a normal temperature." The Doctor shot back. 

They both froze, as they realised what he said. Martha didn’t know they occasionally shared a room, but judging by the look on her face she’d put the pieces together pretty quickly.

“Oh my god!” She squealed. 

“It’s nothing!” Donna insisted. “We’re still not together.”

“Never together." The Doctor added. Donna narrowed her eyes at him, well that was just rude, especially given the moment they’d had back in the chamber. They had had a moment hadn’t they? It had felt like a moment. 

“Not even a little bit together.” She replied. “Just two friends occasionally taking a nap. That’s all.”

“Right.” Martha put her hands on her hips and looked between the two of them. “Ok fine. One trip. I want a real spaceship, with a view!” She grinned at the Doctor. “And let’s try not to die this time?”

“I always try not to die!" The Doctor protested. “I mostly succeed too. I’ve not even used up all my regenerations yet!” 

“Your what?” Martha asked. “Like Lazarus?”

“Noo… no. Definitely not!” He frowned in disgust. “More big glowing light ball than giant scorpion.”

Donna rolled her eyes and pulled the pair of them into the Tardis. She still wanted a nap and Martha’s scientific curiosity wouldn’t let this one go for a while. She left them bickering in the console room as she headed to the Doctor’s room. 

* * *

Donna couldn’t sleep. Her skin felt like it was crawling, mutating, tingling all over her body. She couldn’t get the images of Lazarus’s scorpion face out of her mind. The Doctor had said it was a long lost evolution of mankind, that his DNA had become unstable. It all hit a little too close to home. Donna had tried reading to take her mind off it but she’d just ended up rereading the same paragraph over and over. So she’d swapped to an audiobook whilst she doodled in a notebook she had tucked in the bedside table, but she’d not keep able to keep track of the story and had to keep rewinding. Her doodles were just shapes and circles but something was oddly familiar about them. After the audiobook had failed she’d gone for a bath, complete with bubble bath and jets. That had been alright. The Tardis had played some of her favourite old folk tunes that her Gramps used to sing to her when she was little. 

But as soon as she was back in the Doctor’s room, the restlessness had hit her again. 

The Doctor had said that there were anomalies in her brain, slight changes to her DNA, possibly due to the time vortex. 

Was she going to end up like Lazarus?

She covered her head with the thick duvet and groaned. Stupid impossible Martian! She wished she’d never seen his dreams, she wished she never found out about his telepathy. Why had he had to push it? Couldn’t he have just accepted his mental walls or whatever were down in his sleep? But nooo. The Time Lord just had to test her. 

“Donna?” She heard his voice through the duvet and just grumbled in response. “Is this about Lazarus?”

“No.” She muttered sarcastically. “It’s about the dirty dishes. Of course it’s about Lazarus you dumbo!” 

“You’re not like him, Donna.” He cooed and she felt the mattress sink next to her as he lied down. “I checked, just to be sure.”

Donna whipped the duvet off her head and narrowed her eyes at him. “You did?”

“Of course, I knew what you’d think when we worked out what was wrong with him." The Doctor tilted his head and opened his arms so she could curl up against his chest. His dual heartbeats in his chest instantly had a calming effect on her. 

“So what’s wrong with me?” She mumbled quietly, not wanting him to realise just how scared she was. 

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Heightened psychic abilities from your constant connection to the Old Girl, not much, just a tad above the average human which explains the dreams. Increase in white blood cells so you’re less likely to get sick, and as I said before slight increase in lifespan but completely human." The Doctor kissed her hair as he finished his diagnosis. 

“I’m not gonna turn into a giant scorpion?” She asked.

“Nope. If anything your DNA is a fraction closer to Time Lord than it was before.” He mused. “It’s theorised that humans are descendants of Gallifrey, it’s why you look like a Time Lord. It would make sense that the time vortex and the Tardis would affect your cells in that way.”

Donna laughed. “Well if I start sprouting a second heart then I’m going home. Mum will kill us both if you turn me into an alien.”

The Doctor joined in her laughter. “Well at least we’d regenerate!” He teased. 

Donna scowled and swung her pillow at him. “Not funny, Alien Boy!”

They bickered back and forth about aliens, Sylvia Noble and the pros and cons of being human versus Time Lord until Donna fell asleep. The Doctor had been rambling on about some particularly convoluted Time Lord tradition when she’d felt her eyes get heavy and she struggled to keep them open. Her insults downgraded to grumbles and eventually she just lay down on his chest and let his hearts lull her to sleep. 

_Sweet Dreams, my Donna. _She heard the Doctor whisper in her mind as his fingers brushed her hair from her hairs. Ok, so maybe telepathy wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop! Sorry I meant to post this yesterday but our flight was delayed and I was tired! Anyhoo. Hope you enjoyed it. Obviously recognisable dialogue and the plot for this one is taken from the show but it's my interpretation etc. I'm not gonna lie I did this entire episode purely so I could shove the Doctor and Donna into Lazarus's machine together... that's basically how I choose which episodes to keep and which ones to just mention in passing. What moments in this episode would change enough with Donna there? And so... Let me know what you think!! <3 
> 
> Until next time... which I think is Family of Blood/Human Nature episodes... I can't remember. 
> 
> \- Yaz (AvengersBarnes)


	10. Human Nature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usual notes of some of the dialogue is taken from the relevant episode. Also like... Joan Redfern is not exactly treated particularly well in this. I don't particularly like her character in the show anyway and with Donna being here too she just became... unnecessary? So she's not really part of these stories at all... Sorry!

Life in the Tardis never got any quieter. They’d been to space, just like they’d promised Martha. Trust the Doctor to find the one space ship that was boiling its occupants alive as they tried to mine energy from a sentient sun. They never got to go anywhere cold! At least Martha had gotten a good snog out of it, proving once again that no single man though time or space was invincible to her charms. She’d been amazing too. She’d kept her nerve even better than Donna had. She’d had to force Donna away from the Doctor as they tried to freeze the sun out of him, Donna was almost ashamed at how much it had broken her to see him so still, his lips so blue. She knew she had to be stronger but at least Martha had been there. Brilliant Martha Jones, with all her training doctor skills. She’d been able to push aside any personal feelings and do what needed to be done. Donna had never been so thankful to have her friend there.

And then after that they’d taken a trip to a brand new planet. Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha, just like the Doctor had suggested. Donna had been terrible at it but the Doctor had helped to guide her around the ice. Martha had found a gorgeous young woman to help her around the ice, a vacationer from one of the colonies of the 45th Century. They’d ended the day all wrapped up in heavy fur blankets drinking the most amazing hot drink. It was like some kind of molten spiced chocolate orange with lashings of a type of whipped cream, but it encouraged the body’s production of endorphins making them all feel like they were on top of the world. Donna and the Doctor had fallen asleep together under their blanket. It had actually been a peaceful trip, and they’d all had a chance to recharge under the shining bright starlight. 

But the peace never lasted for long. It never did with the Doctor. Soon enough Donna had wanted to catch up with her family, make sure her gramps was still alright after his stint in hospital over Christmas. In an unexpected turn of events she’d found her father in hospital, cancer. The Doctor had managed to surreptitiously scanned him with the sonic whilst they’d been in the room but one look at the Doctor’s face had told her it wasn’t good news. No immune booster pills would save Geoffrey Noble. Donna had stayed behind whilst he got sicker and sicker, not wanting to waste a single second of the time she had left with him. The Doctor and Martha kept dropping in to make sure she was ok but she had made them leave. It had been something she needed to do on her own with her family. Once her father had peacefully passed into the next life and they’d said their goodbyes, she’d called the Doctor. She hadn’t been able to stay behind any longer in that house. Without her father to act as a shield between her and her mother, things had gotten rough. She felt guilty leaving her mum behind but Gramps had covered for her as she called her best friend. 

She’d never been so happy to see the Doctor and his Tardis. The Tardis had wrapped her mind around Donna like a weighted blanket and the Doctor had held her close whilst she’d grieved. She’d even felt him sending waves of comfort to her telepathically as he’d kissed her forehead. She’d been a little surprised but she guessed it was just a part of how Time Lord communicate. He probably hadn’t even realised he was doing it. She actually found she enjoyed the intimacy of it. Now whenever they held hands she realised she could feel his mind brushing against hers, very rarely breaking through to communicate but always there, like the Tardis always was. 

She never mentioned it to Martha. She was scared about how her friend might react. She knew that Martha sometimes felt like a third wheel in their adventures, even if one trip had sort of escalated to frequent flyer. For some reason, Donna just knew that the Doctor’s beloved ship hadn’t connected with their new friend like she had with Donna. She didn’t want to make Martha feel like even more of an outsider. That just wasn’t fair. 

But all that didn’t matter right now. Not whilst they were running for their lives. They’d been browsing through the grocery store at some intergalactic space station when the Doctor had just frozen still and sniffed the air. He’d grabbed them both and yelled at them to run. Their groceries had clattered all over the ground and they’d charged from the store. Seconds later bright green laser beams had zapped past their heads. The Doctor had shouted at them both not to look around and to keep running for the Tardis. The plonker hadn’t realised that as soon as you tell someone not to look all you want to do is look, but Donna trusted her Doctor so she focussed on running as fast as she could. 

“Get down!!" The Doctor yelled as the three of them barrelled into the Tardis. Donna dove for the floor just in the nick of time as a blast of vibrant green light blasted over their heads and straight into the Tardis console. Donna heard the Tardis scream in her head and she clasped her hands over her ears in a pathetic attempt to block out the noise. “Did they see you?” 

“I don’t know!” Martha yelled back. 

“Donna?!” He shouted over to her. Donna shook her head clear of the mental screams of the Tardis. 

“What?!” She snapped as she leaned against the Tardis console gasping for breath. 

“Did they see you? Either of you?” He looked frantically between them, desperate for answers. 

“We don’t know, Time Boy!” Donna hissed. “We were too busy running for our lives!”

“No but it’s important! Did they see your faces?” He asked again.

“No! I don’t think so.” Martha yelled back in a panic. “They can’t have done.”

“Right then! Off we go!” He slammed down on a lever and launched the Tardis into the time vortex but no sooner had he done so than the alarms started to ring out in room. The Doctor dove for his screens and examined the strange circular Gallifreyan letters as he tugged ruthlessly at his hair. “Ah! They’re following us!”

“How can they be following us?” Donna yelled. “We’re in a time machine!”

“Stolen technology. They've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe. They're never going to stop…” He paused and froze with his hands deep in his hair. Donna felt her heart race, this was not good. Whatever it was that had been following them had completely spooked the Doctor, and that did not make her feel safe. He didn’t spook easily. “Unless… I'll have to do it…” He whispered thoughtfully. He spun round and pulled Donna towards him, gripping her arms almost too tightly. “Donna. You trust me? Don’t you?”

“With my life.” She answered without hesitation. “What kind of a stupid question is that?” 

“Doctor what’s going on?” Martha asked. 

“You trust me?” He clarified with Martha. 

“Course I do.” She stared at him in confusion. 

“Doctor you’re scaring me.” Donna snapped. “What are you doing?” 

“It all depends on you, both of you.” He replied with a dark look in his eyes. 

“You’re all talk and no answers! What does?” Donna snapped. 

“Take this watch, because my life depends on it. This watch, Donna, The watch is me!” He stared at the both with such intensity. Donna fell silent. She didn’t understand. How could he possibly be that watch? 

What on Tardis was going on?

* * *

Donna was in her room in the Tardis. They would have to say goodbye to the wonderful blue box soon. Three months away from her. Three months stuck on Earth pretending to live some other woman’s life. The Doctor was busy recording some information for them both in the console room and Donna was trying to get her head around what he’d just told her. He was going to become human. He was going to use some chameleon arch thingy to change every cell in his body to appear human. The Family of Blood, or whatever they were were tracking his Time Lord scent all across the universe. Apparently if they caught him it meant they could live indefinitely because of his regeneration abilities and that was bad. So he had to become human until their natural life cycle was up. Three months. That’s all it was. 

There was a knock at her door. She looked up to see the Doctor’s face looking back at her. He looked tired already and he hadn’t even used the thing yet. 

“Can I come in?” He asked.

“Sure. Why not?” Donna shrugged.

“There’s something I need to warn you about." The Doctor scratched the back of his neck. “Only you.”

“Spit it out, Spaceman.” Donna patted the bed next to her and he sat down. “We haven’t got all day.”

He laughed. “No, I guess you’re right. The thing is… Donna.”

Donna gazed back at him. He was being odd, all awkward and stuff. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, whatever he had to tell her was making him nervous. If she didn’t know better she’d say he was about to declare his undying love for her…

Wait.

What if he was?

What would she say?!

“Doctor, tell me.” She put her hand on his knee, trying to comfort him. 

“The Tardis will fill in my memories, my human memories. They’ll be enough awareness to fit in you and Martha but I don’t know how exactly. I’m guessing here, I could be completely wrong but I think I know what you’ll be to me.” He blushed and averted his gaze. 

“Oh my god…” Donna whispered as she realised where this was going. “You don’t think? We’re gonna be married aren’t we?”

The Doctor nodded. “We act like it so often, the Tardis will probably absorb that into the memories.”

“Well, it’s nothing new then?” Donna shrugged not quite understanding why he was making such a big deal about it. 

The Doctor took a deep breath. “Donna. I won’t know it’s not real.”

“Oh.” 

“Yeah.” He furrowed his brow. “I don’t know how I’ll act if I think it’s real.” He blushed again and Donna got the feeling that he knew _exactly _how he would react. 

“I’ll handle it. You can trust me.” Donna reached forward and kissed his cheek. “Never know, we could be siblings?”

“No. We won’t.” He said firmly. “Don’t ask me why.” 

Donna raised her eyebrow at him but let it slide. She sighed and took his hand. “Come on, we can’t put it off anymore. You ready?” She asked quietly. 

“Not in the slightest. Allons-y.” He replied weakly and they headed back to the console room to enact his great plan. 

* * *

Martha was leaning against an old wooden fence. There were fields as far as the eyes could see and there was a strange calmness in the air. There wasn’t the constant hum of engines from the Tardis, or even the constant buzz of traffic that she was used to in London. It was just so quiet. She sighed as she looked out into the fields. 

At least they both had a warm bed to sleep in whilst they were undercover. She was having a rough time but she’d expected it, and in some ways she was used to it. Racism was just part of her life, it always had been. It never got any easier to hear the remarks or to lose out on things just because of the colour of her skin, but she had developed a thick skin out of necessity, and apart from the boys at the school, and the occasional teacher, she’d been alright. Yes her job sucked but Jenny made it easier and at least Donna was there to stand up for her whenever someone got too much. 

Donna was having a bit of a rollercoaster ride herself. She had been thrown into the fake marriage scenario of a lifetime. The Doctor, no, John Noble, had been patient with his new wife and not forced Donna into some potentially dodgy consent issues but Donna was struggling to wrap her head around it all. Martha was concerned about the effect it would have on their friendship. She knew the Doctor fancied Donna and she was pretty certain that Donna fancied the Doctor back. This all in fake marriage scenario was putting a strain on those feelings. Martha didn’t think she’d be able to do it, not with someone she truly loved. There was no off switch this time. No turning it off when the pair of them were alone. The only reprieve Donna got was when she was completely by herself or when she managed to sneak out with Martha. 

Yeah. They both had a pretty terrible deal but Martha maintained she had the short straw. At least Donna’s life would get back to normal after three months. Martha would have to carry the weight of other people’s prejudice with her her whole life.

At least the Doctor, John… whoever, was having a good time. He had fitted into life at the school very nicely as the new history teacher. The other teachers all adored him and his wife. The matron also seemed pretty smitten with the handsome new addition to the faculty. If Donna hadn’t been there, then Nurse Redfern would have almost certainly made a play for John’s heart, singular heart.

“He’s driving me mental!” Donna moaned. “I’ve never known a man to be so utterly in love with his wife!”

“Poor you?” Martha laughed.

“Why couldn’t he have been one of those ones who just ignores their wife?” Donna lamented 

“Geez I’m sure that’s such a trial for you, being loved.” Martha rolled her eyes. 

“It’s not like it’s real.” Donna snapped. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I’m being a prat. God you must think I’m so whiny.” She covered her face with her hands and groaned. 

“It’s alright.” Martha patted her arm gently. “None of the servants care what I look like. Baines is a complete arse of a boy and his little gang of friends could be kinder but it could be a lot worse. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Oh god, could you imagine doing this alone?” Donna said with a fearful look on her face. “No one to talk to.” She shuddered. “I think I’d go mad!”

“So who do you think is more of an arse?” Martha grinned at her friend. “The Doctor, or John Noble?” 

Donna laughed gaily and smack Martha lightly across the arm. “Oh the Doctor, definitely. John’s quite sweet really.”

“John barely even looks at me.” Martha retorted. “I’m just the help to him. At least the Doctor trusts me.”

Donna scowled. “I’m sorry. I keep forgetting. You let me know if he says anything he shouldn’t. I’ll call him out on it. The Nobles are liberals don’t you know.” Donna winked. 

“Why did he take your name anyway?” Martha asked. “What would he have gone with without you?”

“Smith, I think. He introduced himself once as Doctor Smith, but people kept assuming we were married after he introduced us as the Doctor and Donna Noble. I guess it stuck.” Donna mused. “Noble is better anyway. Can you imagine me being Mrs Smith?”

Martha chuckled. “No, I suppose not.” 

She stared back out into the fields. A scarecrow was watching them from afar. She let out a long breath and the air puffed into a cloud in front of her. It was a pretty chilly morning. She’d have to get back soon otherwise they’d be missed. Donna was free during the day to do what she liked but Martha had a job to do. Jenny could only cover for her for so long. 

“You’ve got to get back.” Donna said with a sigh as if she had read Martha’s thoughts. 

“Yeah. No rest for the wicked.” Martha rolled her eyes and pushed off the fence. Together they strolled back towards the big old school building. It loomed ominously over the countryside, a real landmark in the small village. 

“I mean it Martha. If anyone says something too much. You tell me. I’ll give them what for.” Donna pretended to punch at the air with a smirk on her face. “You don’t deserve this. It’s cruel. The world has moved on from this.”

“Not as much as you might think.” Martha muttered under her breath. The Baines of the world still existed in the 21st Century, especially in the medical profession.

But Donna didn’t hear her and they continued chatting amicably as they headed back to their fake lives in a school in 1913 England. 

* * *

Donna made her way up the stairs to the room she shared with the Doctor, with John. They had been here for two weeks already but it wasn’t getting any easier. Every night he would wrap her up in his arms and whisper the kindest, most beautiful things in her ear until she fell asleep. More than once she’d dreamt of the wedding he’d described. A small ceremony with just their immediate family, well her immediate family. His parents had died when he was younger. They’d had a reception surrounded by all her closest friends, with a little duck pond in the gardens where they’d snuck off to feed the ducks when they wanted some privacy. On their wedding night, she’d told him she needed time before consummating their marriage and he had agreed. Donna couldn’t help but laugh at that one. It was a blessing, given the nature of their actual relationship but completely out of character for her. She liked a good shag as much as the next girl. 

In the mornings the sun would rise and they would have to face the day but not before he kissed her goodbye. He never failed to kiss her goodbye. 

And good lord did that do funny things to her heart. 

It was too much. He was too kind, too sincere. He genuinely thought she was beautiful and worth loving, and unlike the Doctor, John Noble was not afraid to show it. When they did manage to see each other during the day he always kissed her cheek and smiled at her like she was the sun. It was all so genuine. John Noble was utterly in love with her and it was confusing the hell out of her. 

“Mrs Noble.” Talk of the devil and he shall appear. 

“Mr Noble.” She turned around to face her husband. It was still so startling to see him in clothes other than his pinstripe suits and converse. She even missed his big brown trench coat. His hair was softer, noticeable so when he wasn’t wearing his mortar board, and it almost seemed like he had even more freckles, but most importantly were his eyes. His eyes seemed younger. They looked like they belonged in the face of a 35 year old man. It was such a stark difference to the gaze that normally looked at her from those soft brown eyes. 

“Are you alright, my love?” He asked as he took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Your face is flushed. You aren’t coming down with a fever? Nurse Redfern told me one of the boys had been in to see her.”

“I’m fine, John.” Donna assured him. “I just went for a walk. It’s cold outside, that’s all.”

“Well, I could always help to warm your lips.” He grinned soppily at her. 

“John!” She chided and swatted his arm. “Not in public.” 

“Later then?” He asked cheekily. 

“If you’re lucky.” Donna blushed. “That’s not a promise though, Book Boy!” 

“Book boy?” He laughed and raised an eyebrow. 

“Well… you’re always carrying those books around with you.” Donna shrugged. “Just trying it out.” 

“You never fail to surprise me, love.” He smiled fondly down at her and kissed her cheek. “Will I see you for lunch?”

“Wait and see.” Donna teased. “Now, off you pop. Those boys won’t learn about Napoleon on their own.”

“Alas, my Bella Donna, you are quite right. Until later.” He winked and kissed her chastely before striding off down the hall, his robes billowing out behind him. 

Bella Donna.

The Doctor called her that. It was one of the things that had slipped through onto his human persona. Donna liked that. It was a sign that her crazy alien boy was still in there somewhere. It was difficult to find the Doctor in John’s personality but every so often he shone through like a beacon. Most notably was through his dreams. She often carried his dream journal with her during the day, partly so no one else could find it, just in case, and partly because it was a clear reminder of the man she loved. 

Yes loved. 

She couldn’t deny it anymore. Not even to herself. Between watching him almost burn up and die, not for the first time she might add, and their continued nights together in the Tardis and on Kur-ha, she had fallen in love with him. She was clearly an idiot. They were best friends. She knew that. He was forever calling her his best friend. He loved her, as his best friend. 

Although in the next breath he would call her beautiful and stunning and his Bella Donna. 

What was an Earth Girl to think?

She ran up to their room and grabbed the fob watch. It was warm under her touch. She could feel the whisperings of the Doctor’s mind echoing in her head as she touched it. The back of the watch was engraved with the same circular Gallifreyan letters that were all over the Tardis. She wondered what it said. She decided to ask him to teach her one day. If not the letters, then at least the spoken language. She remembered what he had said about the swear filter and his punishment. He was the only one left who could understand Gallifreyan. That must be so sad, so lonely. She was always pretty good at picking up languages at school, one of her better subjects, it would be nice to learn this one for him. Her Gramps would be impressed too. His little star learning an alien language. 

She longed to click the watch and release the Time Lord that was hidden away inside but it was too soon. The family would find them if she did it now. Only another two and a half months to go. 

She could do this!

* * *

She couldn’t do this!

Oh dear lord she couldn’t do this. 

He was going to kill her and it was all his fault. 

“Donna…” He mumbled sleepily. “Come back to bed.”

She was staring out of the window out at the fields that surrounded the school. The stars were twinkling in the sky and the moon was shining brightly. The window was ajar and she could feel the icy breeze tickling her skin. It was beautiful. She woken up feeling far too hot but far too comfortable in the Doctor’s arms. It shouldn’t have been any different to their room back on the Tardis but holy cow did it feel different. 

“Sorry.” She muttered back to her husband. “I couldn’t sleep.” 

The brunet groaned and pulled himself up so he was sitting up in the bed. He had pillow marks on his cheek and his hair was all tussled. He rubbed his eyes wearily and then padded softly over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on top of her head as he gazed out of the window. Donna willed her heart to stop racing in her chest but it was no use. 

“Bad dreams, love?” He asked.

“Something like that.” She agreed with a sigh.

He let go of her waist and spun her round so she was facing him. His brown eyes were shining in the soft silver moonlight. “What’s wrong? Is it the school?”

“No. No.” She shook her head softly. “It’s not the school. I just…” She trailed off. 

“What?” He tilted his head and brushed her cheek gently with his hands. “What’s wrong? Donna please you can tell me. I love you.”

“Do you ever look up at the stars and wish you could fly amongst them?” Donna asked as she felt her cheeks heat up in the darkness. 

John chuckled. “My darling, I know you have read my journal. You know I do.” He kissed her hair and his fingers trailed down her neck. 

“I just feel lost, John.” Donna admitted. It was close enough to the truth. She felt strange and empty without the Tardis in her life and she missed the way the Doctor’s mind would occasionally brush against hers. Without his Time Lord consciousness it just wasn’t possible. 

He tucked a long finger under her chin and tilted her face up so he could kiss her. Her eyelids fluttered shut as their lips moved together in the dark bedroom. She’d decided pretty early on that kissing wouldn’t betray the Doctor’s trust, it was something they did all they time when they had to put on their act. He wouldn’t mind and it would be too difficult to explain to John why she wouldn’t kiss her husband. 

“You once told me that I was your home.” John murmured against her lips. “Is that still true?” 

Donna opened her eyes. He was giving her his best puppy eyes and her heart reached out to him. That was a dirty move Mr Noble! She nodded. “Yeah. Yeah it is.” She admitted. 

“Then you cannot be lost when I am here with you.” He gazed at her so sincerely, eyes shining with love. “My Bella Donna.” He kissed her forehead. “I love you.”

Donna sighed as she let herself be swept up in the moment. “I love you too, you prawn.” 

* * *

Martha muttered some rather uncolourful language under her breath, although not from lack of trying. The damn swear filter was still active despite the fact they were still stuck in the 1913. One of the school boys had kicked over her bucket of dirty water all over the clean floor and Jenny had had to literally hold her back to stop her from chasing after them and letting them know what she really thought. Instead she was stuck re-cleaning the now sopping wet floor with a worn out scrubbing brush. 

“Martha. It’s ok.” Jenny said as she knelt down beside her to help clear up the mess. 

“It’s bloody well not ok.” Martha seethed. “No respect!”

“We’re servants. We don’t get respect. You know that.” Jenny tried to calm her down. 

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Martha muttered. This was no good she was just spreading the water around. She needed a towel or something to get rid of the excess water. 

“Miss Jones.” Donna was stood over her, her red hair pulled back into a tight up do “Are you ok?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Martha glared up at her friend, trying to let her know her true feelings. “Just some boys messing about.”

“Give me their names. I’ll tell Mr Noble. These boys will soon be running our country. They should learn some manners.” Donna smiled gently down at her. “Maybe they should spend a day in your shoes, see how they like it.”

“You can’t do that, ma’am!” Jenny cried incredulously, scandalised by Donna’s words.

“And why not, Jenny isn’t it?” Donna put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at Martha’s new friend. 

“Yes, ma’am. Well, the parents would never agree to it. Treating their boys like servants.” Jenny spluttered. 

“Think of it as a learning opportunity. Miss Jones, the names please.” Donna insisted. Martha grinned up at her friend and listed off all the boys that had been causing problems, making sure to name Baines twice, just in case. Donna nodded and gave her a quick wink. “Right then. As you were.”

Martha laughed and shook her head. Life would be so much worse if Donna wasn’t here to keep an eye out for her. She would have managed fine but occasionally you needed someone who was aware of their privilege and not afraid to use it. Donna was a blessing. Jenny nudged her and shot her a cheeky smile, she also approved of Martha’s apparent employers. She often teased Martha about Donna’s obvious fondness for her servant, and Mr Noble’s completely obliviousness to it all. 

“Donna!” A familiar voice called happily. “I mean, Mrs Noble! My love.” 

“Mr Noble.” Donna beamed up at the Doctor, John.

Martha stifled a giggle. This was perfect. She didn’t have much opportunity to watch her friends interact but when she did it always made her morning. The Doctor completely doted on Donna. He adored her. Donna couldn’t see the similarities between John and the Doctor but to Martha it was plain as day, clear as crystal. John was the Doctor if he believed he was worthy of Donna’s love, if he believed she was capable of loving him. 

Donna just thought it was all a creation from the Tardis. Martha knew that this man was just buried under years of torment and pain from losing everyone he’d ever loved. John loved Donna because the Doctor loved Donna. It was that simple. Over the last month or so since they’d arrived, Donna had slowly become more confident in her role of John Noble’s wife. She didn’t bat away his affections so easily any more and she didn’t freeze up whenever he got near to her. It was sort of sweet. 

“Is everything alright, love?” John asked Donna with a concerned frown. 

“Right as rain.” Donna put her hand on his cheek and he blushed furiously. “Although…”

“Yes?”

“I had an idea. Some of the boys have been making Miss Jones’ life difficult.” She flashed Martha a grin. 

“It’s no problem, sir.” Martha insisted. 

“No. It is. John, love. I think they should be taught a lesson in how to respect those who they believe are inferior.” Donna shushed Martha. Martha raised an eyebrow challengingly. No matter what these people might think, Donna was not the boss of her. 

“Hmm…” John deliberated. “It can’t hurt to ask. I’ll see what I can do. Will I see you for dinner?” He asked with wide eyes.

Donna laughed. “Oh I don’t know.” She teased him gently.

“Donna.” He pouted. 

“Oh go on then, Spaceman.” She kissed his cheek. “You’ve earned it.”

* * *

John Noble was a lucky man. He had a steady job which he loved and the most brilliant woman by his side. She was his best friend in life and he completely and utterly adored her. She’d been almost resistant to his affections when they’d first moved into the boarding school, which he’d found strange. They had been so happy on their wedding day. He’d put it down to a change of scenery and done his best to make sure she was comfortable in their new life. He’d even brought the family servant with them to the school and gotten her a job. Donna had always been fond of Miss Jones so it had felt like the right thing to do. 

His dreams had been getting weirder and more brilliant with every night that passed. Donna had suggested he kept a dream journal which had turned out to be a phenomenal idea. He even managed to illustrate the tales when he got the time. His favourite drawings were of Donna, with her luscious ginger locks down and falling gently around her face like they did just before bedtime, and of his Tardis, an amazing time machine all tucked away in a little blue box. He often read the stories of his dreams to Donna as they were lying in bed, she seemed completely enraptured by them and she would smile wistfully as if she missed the stars that his alter-ego travelled through. John’s favourite dreams were the ones where Donna was by his side, sometimes their servant was there too but mostly it was just him and Donna. His runaway bride.

For a few nights though, about a week ago. Donna disappeared from his dreams. It had just been the Doctor and Miss Jones, carrying on without her through time and space. John hated those dreams. He felt so guilty when he woke up. Donna was his wife and he loved her. Why would he leave her behind?

He’d asked Donna about it, in a bid to be completely transparent with her. She’d been upset by it but not for the reason he had expected. She reminded him that she’d moved back home when her father had gotten ill, the dreams probably were a reflection of that. John had been so embarrassed by his mistake. How had he’d forgotten about that? Of course she had moved back home. It had only been for a couple of weeks but… his poor Bella Donna. 

He’d attempted to cook for her that night. It hadn’t ended well. He’d burnt the stew to the bottom of the pan and the potatoes were so overdone they had turned to mush. It was quite un-edible. Luckily, Donna had saved the day and served up the most amazing shepherd’s pie instead, an old family recipe. They had had pear crumble for dessert! Normally they would use apple but Donna had insisted on using pears. The results were quite remarkable. 

He stumbled through the corridors back to his room. In hindsight he probably should have carried his books in two journeys. They were threatening to topple over at every turn and every step. He’d almost made it when bumped into Nurse Redfern.

“Oh, good morning, Mr Noble.” She smiled politely. 

John staggered and tried to regain his balance, dropping one of his books in the process. Nurse Redfern tried to help him pick it up but he protested catching the errant book under his foot. “There we go!”

“Let me help you.” She insisted. 

“No, no. I’ve got it.” He shook his head and stared down at the book on the floor. That was no good. He couldn’t very well reach down to pick it up with all the other books in his hands. Eventually he let the nurse hold his pile whilst he picked it up and she offered to help take the books back to his room. 

They chatted politely about the boys in the school, a bug had been making its way around the younger tutor groups and Nurse Redfern had been kept very busy indeed. She took him quite off guard by mentioning the dance in the village hall. He’d completely forgotten about it! He hadn’t checked with Donna that they’d be able to go. He desperately hoped they could. They hadn’t danced together since their wedding.

In his panic he didn’t realised quite how close he’d got to the stairs and down he went. He stumbled backwards in a flurry of pages as his books went flying and yelped at he hit his head. His vision blacked out for a few seconds. 

“Ah…” He groaned and reached back to rub the sore spot on his scalp. He winced as he felt the warm damp strands of hair. “bloody hell.” 

“Mr Noble! Are you ok?” Nurse Redfern called down to him and he struggle to pull himself up using the bannister. At least there was a nurse nearby. 

“Yes. Yes. I’m fine!” He lied but his head span as he stood up and he almost tumbled down the next flight of stairs. “Bugger!”

“Mr Noble!” Nurse Redfern’s hands were on his shoulders, when did she get there. She should still be at the stop of the stairs. 

There was a sharp pain behind his eyes and the light felt too bright. “Donna!” He gasped. 

“I’ll send someone to fetch her.” The nurse’s voice was calm and reassuring. What was the point in that? He needed Donna. She’d just yell at him and tell him to get a grip, none of this pandering lark. “We need to get you to your room. Come on, Mr Noble. You’ll have to lean on me I’m afraid.”

He shook his head, wincing as the room span around faster than his head. “No. no. Donna!” He insisted. 

“Mr Noble, I really must insist you come with me. You’re causing a scene.” Nurse Redfern snapped. “Your wife will meet us in your chambers.”

He nodded slowly, ignoring the wave of nausea that unsettled his stomach. “Right. Allons-y.” He murmured. 

“Excuse me?” 

“It’s french. Don’t know why I said it.” He admitted. 

They stumbled slowly back up the stairs and towards his bedroom. Every step reverberated in his skull and he was barely able to stop himself from being sick from the dizziness in his head. He had to keep blinking to stop the light from getting too bright. It was all a bit of a mess. Eventually he staggered into his bedroom and the nurse pushed him down onto a stool so she could examine the damage.

“John!” Donna barrelled into the room like a burning star, he barely noticed Martha sneak in behind her as she began to tidy up around their bedroom. “Oh my god you’re bleeding. You dumbo!” She swatted him on the arm. “I swear you never used to be this clumsy.”

“It’s just a tumble, love that’s all.” He took her hand and squeezed it tightly. “I’m fine.”

“You’ll need stitches.” Nurse Redfern countered. “and I need to check for concussion.”

“That is not ‘fine’ you idiot.” Donna glared at him and he smiled sheepishly at her. “You need to be more careful.” She said more softly. 

The nurse did her checks as Martha watched intently from her corner of the room, as if she was watching to make sure the nurse didn’t make any mistakes. The nurse decided that he did, in fact, have a mild concussion. He was already feeling more orientated than he had done when he first banged his head but the lights were still a little painful. He told Donna of his latest dreams that he had yet to add to his journal whilst the nurse sewed him up. He hissed as she worked but Donna was there to hold his hand through the worst of it. 

“Did I tell you that sometime I dream that I have two hearts?” He asked her with a grin after Nurse Redfern was finished.

“Two hearts?” Nurse Redfern laughed. “That’s quite impossible!”

“Oh but the Doctor is an alien, Matron.” Donna smirked as she squeezed his hand. “It’s not impossible, just a bit unlikely.” 

“Well, it all sounds rather silly to me.” The nurse replied matter-of-factly. 

“Give me your stethoscope!” Donna asked sharply and held her hand out. 

“Excuse me!” The nurse exclaimed. “That’s hardly necessary. This Doctor might be an alien but John, Mr Noble is human.”

“Oh just humour me, Nightingale.” Donna snapped. “And remember your place whilst addressing my husband, Nurse Redfern.”

“Yes, Mrs Noble.” The blonde blushed at her mistake as she passed over the stethoscope. “It won’t happen again.”

Donna narrowed her eyes at the blonde for a couple of seconds before turning to face him with a dazzling smile. “Two hearts?”

“I only need one to know I love you.” He replied sweetly, delighted at the blush that coloured her cheeks.

Donna pressed the stethoscope to the left side of his chest. “You tart.” She rolled her eyes at him and moved it to the other side, pausing to listen for a moment. “You’re in luck. One heart. Diagnosis human.”

John chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “I already knew I was lucky. I have you.” 

* * *

Martha was lying back on the metal grates of the Tardis floor staring up at the ceiling. The lights had turned off as the Tardis remained hidden from the Family but there was still a soft glow coming from the central column of the ship. Donna was lying down next to her and they held hands tightly. The Family had landed nearby. Martha was sure of it. The green flash in the sky had been the same colour as the laser blasts that had chased them back to the Tardis. How had they found them? It was too soon! The Doctor was still John Noble, and John Noble was more than a little useless in the face of aliens. The idiot had even managed to give himself concussion the day before. 

They just had to stay hidden for another month, that’s all. A month and then the Family would die and they could go back to their lives onboard the Tardis, although Martha thought she really should be getting home. She’d promised her friends she would join them for one trip. One trip to space, to see the stars. 

That had escalated just a tad. 

“And five! Very important, Five. Don’t let me eat pears. I hate pears!” The Doctor’s voice called from the scanner that was running in the background. 

Donna sniggered next to her. “Oh Alien Boy, you should never have told us that.”

“And he might do something stupid like eat a pear! In three months time I don’t want to wake up from being human and taste that!" The Doctor continued. 

Martha laughed at their daft alien friend. Little did he know that Donna had been feeding him pears in various desserts since they’d arrived two months ago. She’d made it her special project to make as many recipes as she could find with the fruit, but she did settle for occasionally just passing him one as a snack. That would be a shock when he turned back into his usual Time Lord self. 

Donna sighed loudly. “Don’t tell him I said this, because he has an ego you can see from Mars, but I miss him. The real him.” 

“At least you still get to talk to him.” Martha replied bitterly. “I’m not allowed to talk to him. Did I tell you that Nurse Redfern told me off for being too familiar with him and you? She told me to remember my position.” 

“No!” Donna rolled over to look at her incredulously. Martha nodded “What a cow! I don’t like her.”

Martha rolled her eyes. “That’s because you’re jealous.”

“What?!” Donna yelled. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She sat up quickly and stared down at Martha with fierce eyes. 

“Well, Redfern clearly fancies the Doctor.” Martha mused and sat up on the floor to mirror her friend.

“John. She fancies John.” Donna reminded her. 

“Oh they are the same person really.” Martha laughed. "The Doctor is still underneath it all.”

Donna laughed in disbelief and crossed her arms. “I highly doubt that! He’s acting like a lovesick puppy. Have you ever seen him like that before?” 

“Well…” Martha started to say but Donna cut her off. 

“Don’t answer that!” She glared and Martha burst into hysterics. 

Oh it was good to be back in the Tardis even for a little while. She didn’t have to curtsey or call Donna Ma’am, the Doctor, Sir. Donna eventually joined in with her laughter and they exchanged stories of their time in the Tardis, Donna of her adventures before Martha had joined them, and Martha of the times that Donna had missed when her father died, until it was time to get back to the school.

“Oh don’t worry, Old Girl, we’ll be back soon.” Donna patted the wall of the Tardis lovingly, something Martha had see the Doctor do many times. Donna and the Doctor both spoke to the Tardis as if the ship could understand them, as if they understood the ship. It was a little strange. Martha knew the ship was sentient but it was still just a spaceship, it couldn’t talk at least not to her, and she presumed Donna too. They were both too human.

Donna turned to smile at her. “You coming or what?”

Martha grinned. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

* * *

Donna stared in shock as she watched the Doctor teach young school boys how to shoot machine guns. She’d promised him that she wouldn’t let him hurt anyone. She had promised him! The stupid daft human idiot! She tried to curse under her breath unsuccessfully and rolled her eyes. Bloody sentient time machine.

“Stoppage. Immediate action.” One of the boys, Hutchinson, said sharply. “Didn’t I tell you, sir? This stupid boy is useless. Permission to give Latimer a beating, sir.” 

Donna raised an eyebrow as the headmaster delegated the choice to the Doctor, to John. 

“Permission granted.” John nodded callously and Donna saw red.

How dare this man give another human permission to hurt someone? No matter what Martha may think, Donna had no delusions that the Doctor was still part of John Noble. Her Doctor would never do something so… so. Ah! She was going to throttle him. She marched across the grass towards the tent, stumbling as her shoes sunk into the muddy grass. 

“Oi!” She called to her husband and the boys stopped to look at her. “What exactly is that going to achieve, Mr Noble?”

“Mrs Noble?" The Doctor seemed a little stunned by her outburst. 

“Mrs Noble! Mr Noble. I must insist that you control your woman!” The headmaster yelled.

“Zip it, mortar board!” Donna waved her arms in his face and turned to John. “Mr Noble, John, if you let those boys beat up Latimer then you are only promoting violence for violence sake. Those boys are not his superior and are not in charge of his discipline. There’s no respect there. It’s bullying. Nothing more, nothing less.” She pleaded with him, trying to word it in a way that a teacher from 1913 might understand. 

John frowned at her and then looked to where Hutchinson had the smaller boy trapped in his arms. He glanced at the headmaster and then back to Donna. “You shouldn’t undermine me like this, Mrs Noble.”

“The man I married what not have stood for this.” Donna straightened her spine and glared up at him, bristling with anger. “Being afraid of war is not something that should be punished. You’re stupid if you don’t fear it. People die. This isn’t just some game, John!” 

He glanced back over to the timid boy and then back to Donna. “You’re right. Yes. Yes. Of course. Hutchinson! Let him go! Latimer. My office. Now.” 

John spun round and strode back to the main building. Latimer scurried after him. He mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Donna as he ran past her and she smiled fondly at him. She liked the boy, he was a bit mousy but there was a calm intelligence and kindness about him that she found was lacking in the other men and boys of this era. He would go far, if he managed to survive the war. Donna flashed a fake smile to the headmaster and then made her own way back to the school. Three months could not be over soon enough for her.

* * *

Donna’s mind was like a whirlwind. First, John Noble had saved the baby using only a cricket ball and an impossible knowledge of physics and now he’d asked her to a village dance. It was the Doctor in one impossible moment and her kind gentle husband the next. Who was she in love with? 

John or the Doctor?

Or both? 

She shivered with anxiety as she tried to keep still. She’d just had to open her trap and ask him where he learnt to draw. Gallifrey apparently, just another sign that the Doctor could slip through at any given moment. She’d been shocked when he’d mentioned his home planet. As far as John was aware, he had been raised in Nottinghamshire, not Gallifrey, which he now thought was in Ireland. Oh God it was all a mess. How could she be screwing this up so badly? Hopefully Martha was having a better time. Strong, dependable, smart Martha Jones. She’d know what to do. 

“There!” John declared. “All done.”

“Took you long enough.” Donna teased as she tucked her hair behind her ears. He’d insisted that she wore it down for the drawing. John Noble had a strange fascination with her hair. She’d have to ask the Doctor about it when he was back. 

“It takes time to capture so much beauty, love.” He smiled dopily at her as he came to sit beside her. “What do you think?”

Donna gasped. 

It was stunning. It was only a pencil sketch but it was beautiful, she was beautiful, too beautiful. “You tart. This looks nothing like me.” She teased him. “She’s beautiful.”

“So, my love, are you.” He kissed her softly and Donna found herself completely lost in his arms as her eyes flickered shut. He still smelled like the Doctor, all musky and warm. He was missing that… Time Lord element. The scent that Donna could never quite identify. It reminded her of stardust, of the glowing Huon energy that had once surrounded her, but underneath it all he just smelled like… well… like John. 

Donna sighed happily as they embraced. She could used to this, feeling loved.

* * *

Martha grinned as she looked down at the tray. Donna had managed to convince the cook to let Martha take a Victoria sponge and proper english tea back to the servant’s quarter after Mr Poole said he didn’t want it. It wasn’t a lot but she’d really been craving sugar. She’d always had a sweet tooth and this 1913 diet was driving her nuts. It was all root veg and shoddy bits of meat. God she missed the 21st Century. She missed her job, her real job. She had gone from saving lives, or at least learning how to save lives, to scrubbing the floors and tidying up after arsehole men and women that just looked down on her. She hadn’t even been able to bring her text books with her to study in the evenings in case someone found them. If she wasn’t careful she was going to forget everything she’d learnt so far. 

She would have to make the Doctor test her before she went home. Although he did occasionally forget what she was supposed to know in the 21st Century. More than once he’d let slip some medical secret from centuries yet to come and Martha had had to swear that she would never tell anyone. She had almost asked him to wipe the moment from her memory, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle watching someone get sick if she thought she’d be able to save them, but she hadn’t brung herself to do it. So the secrets remained in her head. 

The door swung up just as she finished stirring the tea. Jenny was back, much later than Martha had expected. She’d thought about going to look for her but had decided to give it five more minutes, and her gamble had paid off. Jenny stood in the doorway staring back at her.

That was… odd.

She was probably just tired. Martha invited her friend in to share the tea. Tea, cake and good bit of gossip. That was what Martha needed to remind her of home. She missed having a gossip by the lockers at the hospital or in the little kitchenette in their breaks. A good catch up would set her right. Plus she was getting concerned about her friends. Every time she saw Donna and John together they seemed closer and closer. They were often spotted at lunchtime taking a walk around the grounds hand in hand, and Martha had heard it through the servants grapevine that Mr Noble and asked his wife to the dance tonight. Martha hadn’t even realised they were intending to go. What was really weird was that Donna had stopped complaining about the Doctor’s affections. At first it had been all she could talk about once they managed to sneak away to the Tardis or to the pub.

Jenny sniffed the air deeply, in the same sort of manner that the Doctor had done in the grocery store, but she insisted she was just getting a cold so Martha let it go.

“The problem is,” Martha told her friend. “I keep thinking about them, but I don't know what to do.”

“Thinking about who?” Jenny asked as she walked stoically into the room and sat down next to her.

“Mr and Mrs Noble. They just seem so in love. I don’t know what’ll happen when he leaves.”

“Leaves?” Jenny asked

“It's like his contract comes to an end.” Martha tried to explain but she knew it didn’t make much sense. Why would a man leave the wife he adored? “He’ll be gone and she's going to be heartbroken.”

“Leave for where?” Jenny frowned. That was odd, normally Jenny was a bundle of joy and the first to make jokes. Martha wasn’t sure she liked this change that had come over her friend. It wasn’t like her at all. 

“All sorts of places. I wish I could tell you, Jenny, but it's complicated.” Martha sighed, complicated didn’t even cover it. 

But Jenny didn’t miss a beat. “In what way?”

“I just can’t.” Martha insisted. Jenny had usually called her daft and nonsensical by now. Something was wrong and Martha prayed to God that she was wrong, that Jenny would be ok. 

“It sounds so interesting. Tell me. Tell me now.” Jenny said sharply. It was like in the movies when humans got taken over by weird clones that weren’t quite able to get all the nuances of the body they had stolen. It was almost a perfect copy, but not quite.

  
“Would you like some tea?” Martha asked politely as she geared up to test her theory.

“Yes, thanks.” Jenny nodded and tried a smile. All good so far, if Martha was right Jenny would agree with whatever Martha suggested. The alien living inside her wouldn’t know what human food was like.

“I could put a nice bit of gravy in the pot.” She suggested. “And some mutton.” She paused and carefully assessed Jenny’s reactions. “Or sardines and jam. How about that?”

Jenny smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

Crap.

She had to get out of there. Jenny was lost. The Family had taken her. The Doctor had explained enough of their life cycle for Martha to know they were able to steal bodies in order to prolong their life cycle. Jenny was dead and Martha did not have time to grieve. 

She nodded as politely as she could. “Right. Hold on a tick.” She backed out of the room then ran. 

She barely managed to dodge the laser beam that Jenny, or whoever was using her body, shot from the window. She screamed and pushed her legs faster. She needed to get to the Doctor. He needed to open the watch. 

Now! 

She barrelled straight into Donna outside of his room. She was all dolled up and ready to go to her dance. Martha almost felt guilty to have to ruin their night but the universe needed the Doctor. John Noble had to go. She quickly explained what had happened to her friend, looking over her shoulder occasionally to make sure Jenny hadn’t followed her. 

“I’ll get the Doctor. Go make sure the Tardis is alright and grab the sonic. We’ll reconvene at the village hall.” Donna suggested. 

“Why?” Martha asked. “Don’t we want them away from the people?”

“They might _be _the people. If they’re looking for the Doctor that’s one place they’ll check. Everyone is going.” Donna insisted. “Now go! I’ll get him back.”

* * *

John was busy getting ready for the dance when Donna raced in. She started searching the shelves frantically and moving his books and paper around. John watched her with a concerned look on his face. He tried to focus on tying his tie, but his fingers were getting all tangled in the cloth and it was always difficult to pay attention when his wife was in the room. She called to him like a siren calls to a pirate. Her fiery red hair had come loose and wispy strands were flying out all over the place. He wanted to catch them in his fingers and tuck them back into place, or better still he wanted to pull every single pin from her hair and watch the curls tumble down past her shoulders. She always let him undo her hair in the evenings, it was one of his greatest pleasures in life, watching the soft red strands come loose under his fingers. She would hum happily as he combed through the long ginger waves of hair, tugging gently at the knots until there were no tangles left. If he was lucky, then she let him kiss her neck as he brush the hair away from her skin, and she would pull him into a long and tender kiss. 

His wife. His beautiful Bella Donna. 

“John, darling. Have you seen your fob watch?” Donna asked distractedly. 

“My fob watch?” He furrowed his eyebrows and tried to remember ever owning a fob watch. 

“Yes!” She exclaimed. “It’s old, silver and has silly squiggles on the back. It was on the mantlepiece! It’s gone!” 

“Oh that old thing? I don’t know.” He mused. “It’s broken. Why is it so important?”

“It just is. You have to trust me. When did you last see it?” Donna turned to face him with a desperate look on her face, her blue eyes frantically searching the room. “Doctor, I mean, John. It’s important.”

“Doctor?” He laughed, surprised by her use of his alter-ego’s name. “Donna, that’s just dreams love. It’s not true.” He stood up and walked around to the other side of his desk and caught her in his arms. “It’s just a watch. It’ll turn up.”

Donna wriggled in his arms and shook her head. “It’s not just a watch!” She cried, tears were starting well up in her eyes. “Has anyone been in here? Could anyone have taken it?”

“I have students coming in and out all the time during my office hours, love.” He scowled. “Are you feeling alright? You’ve gone awfully pale, love.”

“Oh don’t you ‘love’ me, Alien Boy!” Donna snapped back. “I need the watch. You need the watch!” 

John stepped back and let her go. His arms fell limply by his side. He didn’t understand what was happening. All he ever did was try to love her, make sure she was happy as his bride. “Donna?” His voice cracked slightly and his heart ached in his chest. 

“What?!” She snapped and glared at him for a second, tears streaming down her cheeks, before her eyes softened and she pulled him into a tight embrace. “I’m sorry, Spaceman.”

“Why do you call me that?” He asked her quietly. “I’m not the Doctor.”

“No.” She admitted. “No, you aren’t. I’m sorry.”

“But why?” He asked again.

“Because your head is always in the stars.” She kissed his cheek.

John smiled back at her weakly, wary that she would suddenly turn again. He still wasn’t entirely sure what had upset her so profusely. He took hold of her hand and brought it up to his lips to kiss her wrist. “My Bella Donna. We’ll find the watch, if it’s so important to you. I promise, but first we have a dance.”

“It is important. I can’t tell you why. You wouldn’t believe me.” She sighed sadly. 

“Maybe not, but I trust you, Donna. Do you trust me?” He asked. 

She pulled him down into a tender kiss and he felt his heart flutter in his chest. Every time their lips touched he could feel sparks of electricity shoot through his entire body. It was like she awakened something in him. Something brilliant, something amazing, something that made him the best version of himself. He deepened the kiss with a moan and breathed in the taste of her, his wife. 

She pulled back with a sigh. “John, I can’t.”

“Why not?” He asked as his eyes fluttered open to find her watching him with those beautiful sad eyes. “No, I know. You’re not ready. It’s ok.” He sighed and took a step back to clear his head. “It’s ok.” He repeated, more to himself. 

“Once this is all over, maybe we can revisit it?” She asked. He scowled. Once what was all over? There wasn’t anything going on was there? She must have noticed his confusion because she put her hands on his cheek, instinctively he leaned into her touch. “Just trust me alright?”

He searched her eyes, looking for some kind of explanation but there wasn’t any that made sense. She loved him. She didn’t say it very often but he could see it there, clear as day in her eyes. He nodded with a sigh. “I already told you I do.”

“Just a little more time, I promise.” She reached up onto her toes and kissed his forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too, my Donna. My Bella Donna.” He leant his forehead against hers and wrapped her up in his arms. For now he just needed to be with his wife and he knew that everything would be alright. 

* * *

Donna had failed. The watch was missing and the Doctor was still John bloody Noble. She hadn’t been able to find a good excuse not to dance with her husband so they were twirling happily on the dance floor when Martha arrived. Martha gave her an exasperated glance and stared pointedly at the Doctor. 

Donna mouthed an apology at her friend, and tried to mouth that she couldn’t find the watch but Martha hadn’t understood. Martha had the sonic screwdriver in her hand and she waved it frantically then ran over to them, pulling them back towards a table. Her saviour! She was not getting on with this 20th Century dancing one jot, even if the Doctor was strangely talented at it.

“Martha Jones?” John asked as Donna let go of him to talk to her friend. “What’s gong on?”

“I’m sorry, but this is important!” Martha thrust the sonic into the Doctor’s hand and tried to get him to identify what it was, tried to get him to remember but it was no use. He didn’t believe her. She told him his dreams were reality and that John Noble was the Doctor but he just recoiled in disgust. 

“This is preposterous!” He shook his head and turned to Donna. His eyes were pleading with her, begging her to deny Martha’s stories. 

And for one crazy moment Donna wanted to. 

She didn’t want to lose him. The man who loved her unconditionally. Her eyes filled with tears and she could feel her heart breaking in her chest. 

She loved him. She loved John. She loved the Doctor.

But the Doctor didn’t love her. Not in this way. She thought she had made her peace with that a long time ago, he was her best friend and she was happy to call him that, but these last couple of months had been… wonderful.

She’d gotten a taste of what it meant to be the centre of the Doctor’s universe and she wasn’t ready to let go. 

But it didn’t matter what she thought. The world didn’t need John Noble. The world needed the Doctor. 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered quietly as her heart shattered in her chest. “I’m so sorry.”

“Donna, love. What are you saying?” He grabbed both her hands tightly in his and the sonic screwdriver clattered to the floor. 

“This isn’t true. None of it is real.” She cried, tears streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry. We had to do it. You said it was the only way.”

The Family stormed into the room and blasted a poor Chambers down within seconds. Donna’s eyes went wide. They were here! She scooped up the sonic screwdriver in the pandemonium and she heard Martha tell the Doctor to ignore what they’d just told him. The Family couldn’t know who he was. He was just human, he smelled human. They wouldn’t know. They just had to hold their tongues and keep calm…

Until the little brat with her stupid balloon turned up. What was this, a Stephen King novel?

The Family aimed their gun at the Doctor and ordered him to change back into a Time Lord but it was useless. John barely believed her and Martha and without the watch, Donna wasn’t even sure it was possible. John was panicking. He didn’t know. Of course he didn’t know, the Doctor had made sure of that but The Family didn’t understand. 

Martha screamed as Jenny pulled her away from them and aimed her laser blaster at Martha’s head. 

“Martha!” Donna yelled. “Let her go, you witch!” Not entirely what she meant to say… but close enough. She’d give the Tardis that one. It was better than yelling ‘shirt’ at people. 

“Grab her.” Jenny nodded to Donna. She didn’t react fast enough. The man, Mr Clark had his blaster pointed to her head and no amount of struggling allowed her to get free. 

“Have you enjoyed it, Doctor, being human?” Baines asked. Donna glared fiercely at him. She’d never liked him, even when he’d been human. “Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill?” 

Donna gasped and looked at Martha. They couldn’t allow the Doctor to make this choice. It wasn’t fair. He couldn’t do that! They had to escape. They had to fight back. Donna glanced over at the Doctor. Normally in times like this he had complete control of the room. Now was the moment he would have some amazing plan that saved them all right at the last minute, but not today. John looked utterly heartbroken. He was looking frantically between Martha and Donna, his gaze lingering as he caught Donna’s eyes. 

Donna’s eyes snapped shut. She couldn’t watch. Please dear lord let them both survive this.

Baines’ voice rung out in the hall. “Your friend or your lover? Your choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just say that I proof read this chapter whilst being in the mood for like soul destroying angst? You know the face that the tenth doctor pulls when he sees the eleventh doctor's Tardis? That was me. The entire chapter. John Noble is weirdly adorable. I think. I hope. That's what I was going for? 
> 
> Anyhoo!! New chapter woo! Hope you liked it. Let me know what you think! And who's exciting for the second part? Weee!! 
> 
> -Yaz


	11. The Family of Blood

“Your friend or your lover? Your choice.” Baines smirked inhumanly. 

John couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t fair. How could anyone possibly be asked to make that choice? He had to save Donna, his beautiful brilliant wife but he couldn’t condemn Miss Jones to die. That was murder! This wasn’t even war! It was.. it was… barbaric. And those weapons! He’d never seen anything like it. Chambers had been disintegrated right before their eyes. There wasn’t even a body to take home to his family. 

Donna had closed her eyes and John wanted to scream. He needed her to tell him it was ok. He needed his guiding star. Oh God. What was he going to do? Donna would never forgive him if he let Martha die for her, and he knew he couldn’t live without his wife. He would never get family he dreamed of, the sound of children’s laughter. A beautiful mix of both him and Donna. Smart, fierce redheaded babies with his eyes, maybe a brunette with her beautiful blue eyes. 

Maybe they’d even have two hearts…

Wait. No. That was impossible. They were human. That was a strange thought indeed. 

He couldn’t lose her. He couldn’t.

She would understand, grow to forgive him.

He looked at Martha, she looked terrified. She knew she was about to die, she knew he was about to kill her with his words. 

“Make your decision, Mr Noble!” Jenny spat bitterly with a strange smile. 

“I…” He stammered. He couldn’t do this! He couldn’t even save his own family. It was almost laughable. The man who dreamed of being the saviour of the universe couldn’t even save his own family from destruction. “Please!” He begged as he felt his knees give out and he crumbled to the floor. “I don’t know how to change!”

“Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge.” Baines suggested and both Mr Clarke and Jenny grinned. 

He was too late. His indecision had killed them both! 

“No!” He shouted and lunged for Baines but the boy took a step back and stared intently at some unseen distraction, as did the rest of the mismatched group. 

“It’s him!” Baines announced. 

Martha and Donna took advantage of the distraction and wiggled out of their captures’ grip. Donna pulled the gun from Mr Clarke’s hand and threw it spinning across the floor, and ran into John’s waiting arms. He held her close and kissed her hair, he was almost crying in relief. She was alright. She was safe. 

Martha took a different approach. She screamed and yanked the gun away from Jenny and then used her former friend as a shield whilst she aimed the gun at Baines. 

“All right! One more move and I shoot.” She yelled at Baines who kept his gun trained on Martha. 

John stared in disbelief at his servant. She’d always been a bit different, difficult at times, but she was a loyal friend to his wife. He’d never seen quite so much passion in her before though. It was like she’d been hiding her strength from him this entire time. Donna’s grip on his arm was almost painful but she didn’t seem surprised by Martha’s actions. 

“Oh, the maid is full of fire.” Baines cried gleefully. This was all a game to him! John couldn’t believe that this was the same young lad he’d been teaching for two months. He’d been certain the young boy had been on track to have a very promising academic career. His homework was always impeccable. 

“And you can shut up!” Martha yelled at the lad and pointed her gun towards the ceiling and fired. 

“You get em Martha!” Donna shouted from by his side. 

“Careful, Son of Mine. This is all for you so that you can live forever.” Mr Clarke warned. Live forever? That was ridiculous! How on Earth was he supposed to help them live forever? He was just a history teacher from Nottinghamshire. 

“Shoot you down?” Baines almost giggled manically. The boy was insane!

“Try it.” Martha challenged him. “We’ll die together.”

Donna gasped next for him and he pulled her into his chest and kiss her hair. It wouldn’t do to interrupt this conversation now. One wrong move and Martha would end up in a pile of dust. They had to trust that she knew what she was doing. 

“Would you really pull the trigger?” Baines asked as he narrowed his eyes at the young servant girl “Looks too scared.”

“Scared and holding a gun's a good combination.” Martha cocked her head. “Do you want to risk it?”

The guns lowered and the room began to scream as everyone tried to evacuate as quickly as possible. Martha ordered him to make sure everyone got out alright. Like Donna, she called him Doctor. He still didn’t understand! They were just dreams!

“Come on, Spaceman!” Donna yelled and tugged his hand. They rounded everyone up and escorted them to the exits until Martha was the only one left in the room, still training her gun on Baines. Never moving, barely blinking.

“Martha! Come on!” Donna yelled and tried to run towards her friend but John held her back. Those monsters still had guns and he wasn’t letting Donna get any closer. He’d already almost lost her once today. He wasn’t going to again. “Let me go! Useless human!” Donna protested in his arms. “I changed my mind! John’s more of an arse!”

“Oi!” He defended himself. “I’m still here!”

“He almost sounded like him then.” Martha mused. “Get out! Both of you. I’ll handle this.”

“I’m not leaving this room.” Donna shouted back.

“Doctor. Get her out.” Martha said calmly, for once they actually agreed.

“I’m sorry, love.” He muttered and picked her up in his arms and swung her over his shoulder.

“Put me down!” She thumped him on the back. “Stupid dumb Martian!”

John scowled. Donna had always been a firecracker of a woman. It’s why he had fallen in love with her, but this was a whole new level. Had she also been hiding her true self from him? Now that they needed this Doctor person, both Martha and Donna had become much bolder in their actions. It was very unbecoming for a woman, but John actually found it quite… endearing. He must be mad.

“I’m not from Mars.” He yelled back as he ran from the room. 

“Oh! He’s not from Mars.” Donna muttered sarcastically. “He remembers _that._”

John put his wife down, if she was really his wife, on the pavement outside the town hall. His brain was muddled. He loved her but if what they were saying was true then… he was never really John Noble. He never married Donna but why could he remember their wedding? How could he fake the feelings in his heart? That had to be real, it just had to be. He loved her!

He ordered Mr Hicks to warn the entire village of the impending threat to their way of life and tried to send Latimer back to the school for his own safety, but the boy recoiled from him like he’d been burnt and ran away as fast as he could.

Why was his life falling apart? Now not even his students trusted him! He’d tried hard to protect the boy and to encourage his intelligence. It was clear he was a very gifted student. He sighed. Nothing was going his way this evening. All he had wanted was a dance with his beautiful bride.

It seemed he would never get what he wanted in life. 

* * *

Martha’s heart was pounding in her chest. Somehow she’d managed to escape. She’d stood her ground as she faced down The Family. 

As she faced down Jenny.

Her friend.

No. There wasn’t time to get upset. The Doctor needed her. They needed to get the watch and release the Time Lord. They’d almost managed to convince John that he was the Doctor. She could see the heartbreak in his eyes when Donna confirmed it, but he didn’t _want _to believe them. He had a perfect human life right now. To him it was as real as anything, it didn’t matter that he was really a Time Lord in disguise. He had become his own person and he’d just found out it was all a lie. Martha could see their currently human friend was rejecting the notion in order to stay sane. He still clung to Donna like she was the centre of his universe and he undoubtedly still loved her with all his heart. 

Even Donna seemed unnaturally quiet. She was trying to convince John not to let the boys fight but she’d lost her fire. The insults that usually peppered her lexicon was gone. Somewhere between John carrying Donna out of the hall and them arriving back at the school, Donna had lost her heart. 

Martha had to step up. She had to make him listen. 

“Doctor!” She yelled as she tugged his arm so he would face her. “You can’t do this Doctor! Mr Noble!”

But he didn’t listen he continued to bark orders at the young schoolboys, arming them all with guns and ammunition. Martha had never seen the Doctor even hold a gun for more than a second, let alone willingly encourage children to use them. 

“John, please!” Donna begged. 

“Who am I?” He spun round to face Donna furiously. “John, your husband, or this Doctor who you need so badly? He would fight. You need the Doctor but I’m sorry! I’m doing my best!”

“He would never fight like this!” Donna insisted. “He hates guns.”

“I have no choice! Mrs Noble.” He protested. “Guns are all I have.”

“They're just boys.” Martha tried to pull him away from the bench full of weapons. “You can't ask them to fight. They don't stand a chance.”

The Doctor turned his stormy gaze unto her and Martha felt every cell in her body want to recoil. “They're cadets, Miss Jones. They are trained to defend the King and all his citizens and properties” He spat angrily. 

The headmaster interrupted their argument and for one blissful moment Martha thought the man might stop the madness. She thought he might send the boys to safety but the Doctor, John, explained that there had been an attack in the village and that The Family were heading towards the school, and of course the headmaster believed the white male teacher over the black maid and the teacher’s wife. The women were just hysterical. 

Then the idiot went outside to confront The Family. Donna tried to protest but Martha knew it was no good. She’d faced his type before. Their words meant nothing to him, even if they were trying to save his life. 

“We have to find the watch!” She hissed at Donna and pulled her from the room. 

“I already tried! It’s not in our room.” She protested. “Some moron stole it!”

“We have to try!” Martha insisted and together they ran towards Donna and the Doctor’s room. 

* * *

“I’m gonna bloody kill him!” Donna yelled and kicked at the sofa which had fallen over. “I need to become human” She continued doing a not bad impression of the Doctor, jazz hands and all. “Three months! It’ll all be fine because I’m a Time Lord and I know best!”

“Focus, Donna!” Martha narrowed her eyes at her friend but it was no good. 

“Oh and by the way, Donna!” Donna mocked their friend viciously “You’ll probably have to be my wife. No biggie. I’ll just be totally in love with you for three months. That won’t confuse you at all!” 

“Donna.” Martha said softly and put her hand on the redhead’s shoulder. She had a feeling this rant meant more to Donna than just being mad at the Doctor. Donna was scared, more than that, she was heartbroken.

“Humans, you all fall in love so quickly.” Donna shook her off. “But not you Donna, my reliable best friend. I couldn’t even imagine that this might affect you because I’m a stupid selfish bastard!” Donna threw a pillow across the room and scream. “God I’m so stupid!”

“You’re not stupid, Donna.” Martha put her arm around her friend to try and comfort her. She’d been through this with Tish more than once, well never quite like this but the basis was the same. “He’s an arse. He never thinks. He’s spends so much time protecting us but he never quite understands what it means to be human.”

Donna laughed bitterly. “Oh the irony.” 

The continued to search for the watch in tense silence. Martha could occasionally see Donna wiping tears from her eyes whenever she glanced at her friend. 

Their search ground to a halt when Donna gasped loudly in pain and held her hands to her head. “They have the Tardis!” She hissed and looked up at her in panic. 

Martha frowned as she wondered how Donna could possibly know that, but the most important thing was that she did. That wasn’t good. The Family were trouble enough with a stolen vortex manipulator. She wouldn’t even want to imagine what they could do if they managed to get inside the Doctor’s ship. 

“Come on! Let’s go!” They ran from the room as fast as they could, not seeing the army that had begun to march towards the school. 

* * *

Donna ran from the bedroom, she had to get to the Tardis. The Family had her, if they managed to get inside then they game was over. The Tardis was ringing in her mind like alarm bells and she kept hearing whispers of the Doctor’s consciousness. Whoever had stolen it kept opening the watch which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, it had kept them alive so far. How was the Doctor still saving them from inside a watch? 

She barrelled straight into John as she tried to make her escape. 

“You're with Armitage and Thwaites.” He called to a passing student. ‘They know the drill. Donna, it's not safe!” He said frantically as he caught her in his arms. 

“I know that you prawn.” She snapped back him and then sighed. She didn’t want to fight with him. John Noble would, if they were lucky, not be here for much longer and despite everything she still loved him. She had to make this easier for him, he had to understand why she was turning her back on him for the Doctor. “John, tell me about our wedding again.” 

“Donna, now really isn’t the time. I have to…” Donna cut him off with a finger to his lips. 

“Tell me.” She insisted. She’d heard his version before, the church, the duck pond, confetti flying around their faces, but now more and more the Doctor was slipping through. She was hoping that he’d make a mistake, that he’d realise the memory was wrong.

“You looked beautiful.” His face soften. “A vision in white.”

“And what were you wearing?” Donna pressed, he’d never mentioned that before.

“What?” He wrinkled his nose.

“What were you wearing? A tux?” She grabbed his hand and squeezed tightly.

“No a suit. A brown suit…” He said wistfully. “You were wearing my jacket.”

“Why?” Donna asked.

“Because it was cold. Christmas in London is always cold." The Doctor frowned. “But it wasn’t London?”

“With this ring…” Donna trailed off hoping he would finish the sentence as she gazed into his soft hazel eyes. 

“I thee bio-damp. Wed! I mean wed!” He buried his face in his hands. “Donna, why can’t I remember properly?”

“You know why.” She said sadly. 

“But I love you.” His soft brown eyes were full of tears now. 

“I know.” Donna sighed. 

“Don’t you love me?” His voice quivered and Donna wanted to run faster than she had ever run before. 

“With all my heart.” She breathed. “But I need the Doctor. The universe needs the Doctor.”

“Am I not enough?” He asked quietly and Donna felt like her heart had stopped in her chest.

How was she supposed to answer that? The truth would break him. He wasn’t enough, he couldn’t be. He wasn’t a whole person, just a shell with some fake memories and a personality developed by an alien spaceship. 

But looking at him. His kind gentle eyes, so full of emotion. The man she had shared a bed with for two months straight. The man she had called her husband, the man who had kissed her goodnight every night, who had tried to cook for her because he’d forgotten that her father had died, the man who whispered such sweet things in her ears because he loved her more than anything in the world. 

How could that not be enough?

She closed her eyes, trying not to let her tears fall. “Don’t.” She whispered. “Don’t make me answer that.”

One of the boys ran past them and the Doctor followed his movement with his eyes. "I've got to go.”

“John wait!” Donna caught his arm. “Please, don’t make them do this. They are children. John Noble wouldn't want them to fight, never mind the Doctor. John Noble, my husband, he knows it's wrong, doesn't he?” She pleaded. 

She was reminded of Pompeii. She had pleaded with him them, that time he’d just wanted to run away and she’d begged him to save someone, this time he was forcing innocent children into battle before their time. She knew he’d fought in wars a lot bigger and more dangerous than this one. He’d seen what it could do to the mind and soul. Donna knew he still hadn’t forgiven himself for the part he’d played in his own wars, the nightmares that plagued him were a testament to that. Since she’d first accidentally slipped into his mind when he’d been asleep, it had become almost a routine when he was a Time Lord. They didn’t always share a bed, but when they did, when she was pressed up against his chest, when their skin touched in the night, she would see things, dreams. They slipped through his barriers and into her dreams. Sometimes they were memories of their time together in the Tardis and their journeys through space. Other times it was another man, another face… another war. He woke up from those dreams the fastest and he wouldn’t return, sometimes for a few days, only when the exhaustion became too much. 

The Doctor wouldn’t want this.

He would find another way. 

“What choice do I have?” He replied, broken and downtrodden. 

Then he pulled her into a kiss. It wasn’t their most passionate kiss, but it wasn’t all tenderness. 

It was a goodbye. 

He was saying goodbye. 

* * *

Donna managed to sneak round the back of the school as the boys assembled. Martha had watched from the stairs as she ran into the Doctor, she’d had to cover her mouth with her hands to stop them from hearing her sobs. Her two best friends were completely heartbroken. Donna was right. The Doctor should never had allowed them to go through with this. He hadn’t had enough time to think through the consequences and poor Donna’s heart had gotten trampled in the crossfire. Martha hadn’t known that the Doctor would end up married to Donna in their new life, it had all been quite a shock once the Tardis filled their heads with their new lives but Donna had just nodded like she’d expected it. Martha had thought it was all the acting they did around the universe that had made her friend accept her role so easily, but after Donna’s tantrum earlier she was starting to think maybe the Doctor had forewarned her. He’d known how his ship would react. He’d known the story she would weave when it came to Donna. He’d known it all and it never once occurred to him that Donna would fall in love with his alter ego. 

God, it was like he’d never seen a romcom in all his 900 or so years, which Martha knew wasn’t true because she’d been there when Donna had insisted they watch The Wedding Date on one of their rest days. The Doctor had loved every second of it… but clearly had learned nothing. 

She chased after him as he prepared to face down the army of scarecrows, hoping to stop him but she was too late. She heard the gunfire as she approached the door. It hammered around her and echoed through the otherwise quiet halls of the school. She covered her ears and waited for the all clear, she wasn’t going to get shot for this. He’d promised to get her home and by God she was going to hold him to it. 

Once the hail of gunshots fell silent she ran outside. Just in time to see the headmaster talking to the little girl from the hall. She was still holding that little red balloon. It was as if the alien couldn’t differentiate between its human subject and the inanimate object. Actually, that was probably exactly what it was. God she was getting good at this. 

“Mr Rocastle!” She called to the stupid man at a last attempt to save his life. “Please, don't go near her.”

“You were told to be quiet.” He chided her and Martha groaned in frustration! Men! They never listened!

“Just listen to me. She's part of it. Mr Noble, tell him.” She pleaded with the Doctor, hoping there was enough Time Lord still in there for him to listen to her without Donna’s help.

The Doctor looked frightened and confused which was a terrifying combination for the usually fearless man. “She was, she was with, with Baines in the village.” He admitted, nodding furiously. 

“Mr Noble, I've seen many strange sights this night,” The headmaster said. “but there is no cause on God's Earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir. Come with me.” He reached out to the little girl.

“You're funny.” The girl said calmly, in a nonchalance way that only children can manage. 

The headmaster nodded and reached out again. “That’s right. Now take my hand.”

“So funny.” The little girl repeated with a smirk and then pulled out one of the green laser blasters and shot the headmaster. 

Martha shielded her eyes as the man turned to dust in front of her. She felt the Doctor stiffen next to her. John Noble hadn’t seen what the Doctor had seen. He wasn’t used to the death and destruction that followed the Time Lord around. The Doctor wouldn’t have blinked at eye at the man’s death. He would have grieved in his own way, another life that he couldn’t save, another pointless death but it wouldn’t have had the same affect as it was having on his human counterpart. John Noble was visibly shaken by all that had happened tonight. Two months of peace had just shattered around them.   
  
“Now who's going to shoot me. Any of you, really?” The girl smiled menacingly and snarled at them all. 

Martha glanced at the Doctor, John. He looked down at the rifle in his hands as if it belonged to another man. He almost looked disgusted by the weapon. That was more like it!

“Put down your guns.” He called out to the boys who now looked up to him.

“But sir, the Headmaster.” Hutchinson protested, despite the fact he was was visibly shaking and pale, dirt covered his face except damp streaks with gave away the fact he’d been crying. 

“I'll not see this happen. Not anymore.” John announced and Martha honestly could have kissed him. She was so relieved! Maybe John wasn’t so bad after all. “You will retreat in an orderly fashion back through the school. Hutchinson, lead the way.”

Baines appeared in the entrance to the school and stood next to his new alien sister, brandishing his own green blaster ominously. 

“But sir.” Hutchinson tried to protest again but the Doctor was having none of it. 

“I said, lead the way!” He insisted as calmly as possible. Martha thought to herself that if had been the Doctor he would have said some clever and a bit cheeky to the aliens to distract them from the young boys as they made their mistake, and at the last minute he would have grabbed her hand and yelled for her to run, but John was not the Doctor. He was a teacher and those boys were his responsibility. He wasn’t allowed to be reckless, not in the way the Doctor was. 

“Well, go on, then.” Baines shouted manically and aimed his weapon at the sky. “Run!” He yelled as he fired the blaster. 

Screams filled the air and the boys shattered back into the house. Martha and the Doctor followed them as quickly as they could, making sure that everyone was as safe as they could be.   
  
“Come on!” Martha tugged his hand and pulled him along. She just hoped Donna was safe wherever she was. 

* * *

Donna covered her ears as she heard the Doctor call out to the Family. Every time the watch was opened she heard it clearer and clearer. It was like he was reaching out to her. She hugged the tree she was hiding behind and wiped her nose on her arm. If she could just get close enough to the Tardis, maybe she could get it away from the Family. Her driving lessons had been going pretty well, she’d almost accidentally dented the 80s but someone had gotten there before her so there was no more damage done. She even had a sneaky suspicion the original dent had been made by the Doctor’s mad driving skills before he’d met her. Of course he’d denied the accusation vehemently but the twinkle in his eyes told her she was completely right. 

She jumped as she heard the crackle of twigs being broken underfoot and the scuffle of footsteps. She pressed her back to the tree and held her breath, but sighed in relief when she heard Martha’s voice encouraging John to keep running. She reached out and grabbed the Doctor as they ran past and pulled him to her. He yelped and fell on top of her. 

“Donna?” He asked as he stared down at her in surprise. 

“Hello.” She smiled up at him. 

“Oh my god!” Martha interrupted their reunion with a gasp. “You were right.” 

“Doctor! Doctor!” Mr Clark shouted out to them from where he was guarding the time machine. “Come back, Doctor. Come home. Come and claim your prize.” 

Baines strode out to join him with Jenny. He had that horrid smile on his face. Donna felt the Tardis shiver with disgust in her mind as he got closer to her. “Out you come, Doctor. There's a good boy. Come to the Family.”

“Time to end it now.” Martha’s friend Jenny said. Donna felt a wave of anger. It wasn’t fair. Martha had had such a difficult time in their temporary lives here but Jenny had made it bearable for her. The Family had stolen that from her. They had no right! It was so selfish! How many people had to die just so one of them could live forever? 

The Doctor looked up from where he was gazing down at Donna when he heard the family calling his alter-ego. He frowned as his eyes landed on the Tardis. Donna reached up and stroked his cheek. She hated when his eyes got so dark. It wasn’t a look she’d seen very often on John’s face over the last two months, most of those times had been that day after they’d told him his real identity. 

“You recognise it, don't you?” Martha said softly. Donna looked up at her around the Doctor and grinned. It was good to see her friend. 

“Come out, Doctor. Come to us!” Jenny yelled harshly.

The Doctor shook his head desperately but Donna knew he was in denial. She could see the light in his eyes as he gazed at the box. He couldn’t quite take his eyes off it. “I’ve never seen it in my life. 

“Do you remember its name?” Martha asked, desperately trying to to get him to remember, to release the notion of his fantasy life.

“I’m sorry, love.” Donna kissed his cheek, partly out of habit, partly because she couldn’t quite let go of her husband. It had been like a dream. Although the food could have been better. “You dreamt of this. You wrote about the blue box remember?”

“I'm not.” He protested. “I'm John Noble! That's all I want to be. John Noble, with his life, and his job, and his wife. Why can't I be John Noble? Isn't he a good man?” He begged. Donna wondered if part of that came from an insecurities of the Doctor’s. He was always trying so hard to be better, to save the world, to earn his name. He was always trying to be a good man. Perhaps it was all because he didn’t believe he was, perhaps he was still punishing himself. 

“The best.” Donna sighed. “Don’t tell the Doctor I said that.” She tacked on. “He’s got an ego the size of the milky way.”

“Why can't I stay?” He begged her.

“We need the Doctor.” Martha answered sadly. Donna took his hand and squeezed hard, hoping it would give him some comfort. 

“What am I, then?” He asked as tears began to fall down his face. “Nothing. I'm just a story.” He tore his hand from Donna’s and turned away from the Tardis, turning his back on his real life. 

* * *

John wanted to run. He’d never wanted to runaway from anything as much as this in his life before. Although if his darling Donna was to be believed, his life as he knew it had only been a couple of months. How had he only been living for a couple of months?

But that box.

He _knew_ that box. 

He was drawn to that box like a moth to a flame. More than his attraction and love for his wife. It felt like the old police box was part of his soul. It was probably why he had drawn it so often in his dream journal. He remembered the fond smile Donna had whenever he mentioned it whenever he told her the stories of his dreams.

Martha had suggested they go to little Lucy Cartwright’s house. She’d theorised that if Lucy had returned home after her alien transformation then her parents probably hadn’t survived the encounter. Unfortunately for them, Martha’s hunch had been right, but at least they had a moment of peace whilst they figured out a way to win this. If Donna and Martha were to believed then they needed to find his old broken fob watch. 

But he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to become this Doctor. From what he’d seen in his dreams the Doctor lived a hectic and lonely life. He changed his face and left his friends behind. John didn’t want that. He just wanted his happy peaceful life with his beautiful wife. 

But how could she love him?

She knew this Doctor. He was her best friend and she’d lived here with him to protect him. She’d loved John to protect him. Even if he refused to open the watch he would lose her. She’d leave with Martha. She had a home far away from this quaint little village, in a whole different time. His wife was from the future.

There were four knocks on the door and all three of them stared in panic until Martha pointed out that scarecrows didn’t knock. Donna gave his hand a squeeze and he reached up to kiss her cheek, before remembering he wasn’t really her husband, before remembering his memories were lies but she just blushed, like she always did and brushed her fingers through his sideburns before getting up to answer the door. She shot a fierce look at Martha as the maid, no, his other friend, tried to get the door first.

To everyone’s surprised it was the Latimer boy.

And he had the watch.

“I brought you this.” He said timidly as he held it out to him. John could barely look at it. It was broken. He didn’t want it. 

Martha snatched the watch from Latimer’s hands and held it deliberately in front of him. 

“Hold it.” She ordered. 

He frowned and glanced away from the offending object towards Donna. “I won't. 

“Oh don’t be a stubborn arse, you stupid useless Martian!” Donna snapped and he stared back affronted by her sudden change of attitude. Was this what he should expect as the Doctor? “Just take the damn watch.” 

“It told me to find you. It wants to be held.” Latimer insisted. 

“Hold on a minute.” Donna turned her fierce gaze onto the school boy. “You had that the whole time. You could hear it this whole damn time!”

“Donna…” He warned her quietly. 

“No! Shush you!” She covered his mouth with her hand. 

“Hmmph!” He protested. 

“Why didn’t you come find us?” She glared at Latimer. 

“Because it was waiting. And because I was so scared of the Doctor.” He admitted, glancing up at him. John looked sadly down at the boy he’d nurtured and protected for the last two months. Two months and this Doctor had broken that trust. Donna let go of him and stalked across the room angrily muttering under her breath. 

“Why?” Martha asked as she smirked at Donna’s antics. 

“Because I've seen him.” Latimer admitted and John listened intently. Finally he had an outsider’s opinion on his alter-ego. He suspected both Donna and Martha were dazzled by the alien. Latimer would be honest with him. “He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun.”

John’s heart broke. It was worse than he feared. This Doctor was a monster! “Stop it.” He closed his eyes and tried to block out the boys words. He felt Donna rest her hand on his shoulder but he shook her off. He didn’t need her comfort. She didn’t love him. He didn’t need her.

That sounded ridiculous even to himself. He knew he needed her. In whatever way he could have her. The Doctor travelled with Donna, not because they were married but because they were best friends. John could still have that… couldn’t he?

Or would he just die? The moment he opened the watch. Would he cease to exist?

“He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe.” Latimer continued and John could feel his head burning with the dreams, no memories. The watch was calling him. He could feel the pull towards it in his soul. 

But he didn’t want to go.

“Stop it! I said stop it!” He scowled at the watch and took a step back, desperately trying to put some distance between him and the object. 

And then Latimer smiled. “And he's wonderful.” He admitted.

Donna pulled out his dream journal from her pockets. “What about this? You wrote this.” 

He shook his head. “Those are just stories.”

Donna rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, Spaceman. Even John Noble is smarter than that. You know that’s not true. You must know.” 

A mighty explosion disrupted their conversation and they all grabbed onto something to steady them as the entire cottage began to shake. For just a second he was transported back into his dreams, clinging onto the strange console with all sorts of nobs and dials as he was flung about the room. They were laughing in his dream, him, Donna and Martha, all laughing. He could almost feel the spike of adrenaline as the space ship jolted around him. With a gasp he opened his eyes and he was back in the cottage. He ran to the window to see what had caused the earthquake.

“What the hell?” Martha cried as the walls shuddered around them. 

John stared in wonder out of the window. It was raining fire outside, like the dreams he’d had of Ancient Pompeii and the visions of a great glass dome shattering around a grand city. Donna joined him by the window and gasped as she saw the hail of fireballs come down over the village. As he turned to face her his vision distorted, ash covered tears streaked down her cheeks. She was wearing different clothes, a brilliant purple dress, much too short to be appropriate in 1913 but somehow it was right for Donna. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, so different from what he was used to. This was Donna in another time. 

_Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone_

Just save someone. She’d begged him, she pleaded with him. 

“They're destroying the village.” She pressed a hand against the window and John knew what he had to do. His indecision was killing people, Donna and Martha said they needed the Doctor to save them from this threat so that’s who he would have to become. 

“The watch.” He spun round and grabbed it from Martha’s hands before she could realise what he was doing. It was warm under his fingers, he could almost see wisps of shining golden energy glowing in tangles from the watch. 

“Closer.” His own voice whispered to him. 

“Can you hear it?” Latimer asked quietly, his eyes watching him intently. 

“Closer.” The Doctor’s voice hissed again, louder this time. More insistent. 

“I think he's asleep.” John breathed as he traced the Gallifreyan letters on the back of the watch. “Waiting to awaken.”

“Little man.” John scowled, well that was unnecessarily rude. Was that what he was? Rude?

"Why did he speak to me?” Latimer asked. 

“Oh, low level telepathic field.” He explained. “You were born with it. Just an extra synaptic engram causing…”

He stopped himself with a loud sniff. How did he know that? He didn’t even understand the words that were coming out of his own mouth now.

“Is that how he talks?” He asked wide eyed and afraid. 

“That's him.” Martha enthused excitedly, not caring that he would have to die to bring the Doctor back. “All you have to do is open it and he's back.”

He stared down at the watched and closed his eyes. 

* * *

Donna watched as John tormented himself. He was clearly torn. One moment he was ready to make the sacrifice and the next he was running scared. She’d never seen him so openly undecided and afraid. Normally he’d just pull at his hair and spin round in circles yelling at himself to do better. If he didn’t know what to do then he’d just jump in without looking and hope that a plan would come to him before it was too late.

She had to end this. It had gone on too long. She’d been too soft on John, she hadn’t challenged him nearly as much as she challenged the Doctor. She’d felt sorry for his human counterpart. He’d not had the same fire as the Doctor, and Donna had worried he wouldn’t respond well if she was completely herself with him so she’d reined it in. She put on the part of wife in 1913 and she’d done it well. 

Yes. Ok. Occasionally the real Donna Noble had slipped through and she’d given him a piece of her mind when he’d been a bit sexist or racist but he was always so good-natured. He’d taken it well, much better than a real 1913 man would have done. She respected that. 

But, as much as she loved the gentle soul that was John Noble. She missed her best friend. She missed their banter and their easier camaraderie. She was the Doctor’s equal. John adored her but he was still a man of his time. They weren’t quite as in sync as she was with the Doctor. She couldn’t always tell what he was thinking like she could with the Doctor, telepathy aside. 

John loved her, but she’d been selfish. She had to let that go. 

God she had no luck with husbands!

“I should have thought of it before!” The Doctor’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “I can give them this. Just the watch. Then they can leave and I can stay as I am!”

Oh for flips sake!

“Oh don’t be a moron.” Donna hissed.

“If they want the Doctor, they can have him.” He insisted, “I can stay!”

“He'll never let you do it.” Martha grabbed him as he tried to run from the room. 

“You can’t do that. If you do that I can’t stay with you.” Donna bargained and she could pinpoint the exact second she broke his heart. “There’s a protocol on the Tardis. It’ll take us home. We’d have to leave you.”

“But If they get what they want, then, then…” He stammered, pleading with those beautiful hazel brown eyes. 

“Then it all ends in destruction!” Donna cried, exasperated, God he was so thick! “those creatures would live forever to breed and conquer, a war across the stars for every child.” 

It was time to end it. If he wouldn’t open the watch on his own then she would help him, like she had in Pompeii and in the caves, and through out all of their adventures. She would help him.

“Martha, Latimer, would you leave us alone, please?” She turned to Martha and silently begged her to understand. 

Martha nodded and pulled the young boy from the room. 

Donna turned back to the Doctor and put her hands over his. He will still cradling the watch in his hands, like part of him couldn’t let go of it. The moment Donna’s fingers made contact with the warm metal she sighed. It was the Doctor. 

_Help him. _He called in her mind. _He needs you._

John began to sob loudly and without hope. Donna wrapped her arms around him and for first time since they’d entered the cottage he didn’t resist her affections. “I don’t want to go.” He cried between sobs. 

“I know, love.” Donna stroked his hair and held him close to her chest “I know, but you won’t be gone. Not really. Martha thinks that the Doctor is still in you, that you are still very much part of him.”

“And what do you think?” He asked, pulling back from their embrace, his eyes looking up at her, shining with tears.

“I didn’t believe her at first.” Donna admitted. “He doesn’t love me like you do.”

“He does.” John protested. “Oh he does, Donna. I feel it in my hearts, heart. Every time he looks at you in my dreams. I feel it.”

Donna laughed sadly. “No. He doesn’t but that’s ok. He’s my best friend and I wouldn’t change that for the world.” 

“But you love him, me… him?” John asked.

“I only need one heart to know I love him.” Donna replied, echoing his own words. “And you are a part of him John. One side of a coin. Just like Martha kept telling me.”

“So I won’t die.” He breathed and stared at the watch. 

“Together?” Donna asked and she grasped the watch with him. 

He nodded and together they clicked the button. 

Golden light streamed out of the watch and surrounded the Doctor. A strand flew around Donna and she closed her eyes as he spoke to her. 

_Thank you. _

She grinned as she could finally feel the Doctor’s mind, whole and in one piece tickle against hers as she gripped his hand tightly. She looked up at him as he opened his eyes, his ancient brown eyes. 

“Doctor?” She asked cautiously. 

He grinned a manic toothy grin and leapt to his feet, pulling her into a tight embrace. “Donna!! Molto bene!”

“You’re you!” She cried happily. 

“Oh yes!” He laughed and spun her round. “Oh. Hang on. Just need to….” He put her down and wrinkled his nose as he focused on the watch and stuck a finger up his nose. “Haven’t done this in a while, I’m a bit rusty. Don’t want them finding me. Not yet.” He stuck his tongue out as he concentrated. “There we go!” 

“What?” Donna asked him. 

“Oh just a simple olfactory misdirection.” He grinned as he wiped his finger on his trousers. “Little bit like ventriloquism of the nose. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy.” He winked and waved the watch happily. 

“You’re mental!” Donna laughed. He really was back. Her best friend was back!

“Oh yes. Completely mad, mad man in a box. That’s me.” He grinned. “And as I’m completely mad… there’s something I need to do before saving the world.”

Donna raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh and what’s that then, Spaceman?” 

“This.” He grinned and then he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. Donna almost squeaked in surprise before her brain caught up with what was happening and by God did she kiss him back. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him like there was no tomorrow, putting every ounce of her heart into the kiss until she was gasping for breath. Reluctantly she pulled away and cried out happily as she realised what had just happened. 

“Right then!” The Doctor swallowed, looking a little flustered. “Good. Right. That was… good. Right.”

“Oi!” Donna shoved him as she tried to catch her breath. “A bit more than good, Spaceman!”

The Doctor grinned and pulled her into another fierce kiss that made her head spin. When they pulled apart for the second time he rested his forehead against hers. 

_Just had to be sure. _He said in her mind. 

_You tart. _She chided. _Now go save the world._

* * *

Martha closed her eyes and hugged Timothy Latimer to her as the skies lit up around them. She could feel the ground shake every time a fireball crashed into the Earth. What was taking them so long? 

Come on, Donna. Martha didn’t know what else to do. They desperately needed the Doctor back otherwise they were stuck here. She knew Donna could sort of pilot the Tardis but surely not well enough to get them back home in the right time. Not even the Doctor got it right half the time. Martha looked up at the sky and sighed. How long was she supposed to wait here until she could interrupt them? She trusted Donna but this was taking the piss. People were dying!

Just as she decided that enough was enough and brushed down her skirt as she stood up, Donna and the Doctor came charging out of the cottage hand in hand. Martha smirked when she noticed their swollen lips and flushed faces. She wondered if that had happened before or after the watch? 

“Took you long enough.” She rolled her eyes. 

“Martha!!” The Doctor launched his long body at her and she found herself being swept into a hug. “Wonderful, brilliant Martha Jones!”

“You’re back then.” She grinned and she hugged her friend back.

“Oh yes! Don’t let me do that again.” He laughed. “One heart.” He wrinkled his nose and then paused. “Hang on… something’s wrong”

‘What is it?” Martha asked. “The Family? Can’t they find you now you’re all…” She gestured to him. “Time Lord?”

“What? Oh. No. Nooo. I sorted that. Parlour trick, although I do need to go and fix that.” He shrugged. “No. Something’s not right.” He grimaced and stuck his tongue out. “Urgh!” 

“What?” Donna asked, the picture of innocence. “Something wrong, Time Boy?”

“Nooo.” He gaped at her in shock. “You didn’t?”

“Didn’t what?” Martha asked as she tried to work out what was going on.

“You fed me pears!!” He cried and started patting down his tongue to try and get rid of the taste. “You monster! Number Five, Donna!!”

“Oops.” She giggled. 

“I can’t believe you did that!” He pouted and huffed. “I trusted you!”

“Bad move, Alien Boy!” Donna grinned. 

Martha raised her eyebrow at the pair of them. It was like they couldn’t see the fireballs in the sky. It was like all the death and destruction had melted away the second they been reunited as the Doctor and Donna. Donna had adored John more than she had but Martha could still tell that her friend was beyond excited to have her best friend back. 

“Umm… guys?” Martha coughed to get their attention and then glanced up at the sky. 

“Right! Yes! Fireballs in the sky. Probably should fix that.” The Doctor grinned. “Back in a tick! Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He hugged Martha again and then turned to Donna. He bounced a little on his toes and then brushed the hair out of her eyes. Martha narrowed her eyes as Donna nodded and he smiled down at her. 

Were they having a conversation?

It certainly looked like it. 

Or had two months in 1913 sent her mad, was she that desperate for adventure and aliens?

“Stay here!” He reminded them and then charged off across the field. 

Donna had a silly giddy smile on her face as she watched him go. Martha smirked, maybe that kiss was after the watch after all. 

“Is he going to save us?” Latimer asked. Martha looked down at the school boy, he was still sat down by the side of the house, shivering in the darkness. He looked pale in the moonlight and he flinched every time one of the fireballs flew past. “Because I saw things in the watch. I don’t die here. There’s another war coming.”

Martha crouched down next to him. “Yeah. There is and it’s a big one. Probably one of those fixed points too. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s alright.” Latimer smiled weakly. “It made me less afraid today. I knew I’d survive because I’ve seen how I die.”

Martha inhaled sharply. The Doctor’s consciousness surely wouldn’t have shown the young boy that, it was enough to send anyone mad. No one should know how they die. “Maybe not.” She suggested. “Time’s in flux. He always says that. Maybe what you saw is just one version. Maybe a warning?”

Latimer nodded. “Yeah. Could be.” 

“There’s always hope.” She insisted. “That’s what the Doctor says. Right Donna?” She turned to her friend who was gazing out into the fields. “Donna?”

“Sorry what?” Donna blinked and shook her head.

Martha laughed at the dazed look on the redhead’s face. “There’s always hope.”

Donna beamed up at her. “Yeah. Nothing’s impossible, just a bit unlikely.” 

“Like the Doctor being in love with you?” Martha teased. 

“Yeah.” Donna sighed happily and then scowled as if she’d hadn’t realised what Martha had asked her. “I mean what?! What gave you that impression? I told you we’re not like that.”

Martha rolled her eyes, so they were playing that game. She wondered if they realised she was smart enough to be training to be a doctor. She wasn’t so easily fooled. “But John loved you.”

“Excuse me.” Latimer chimed. “I don’t want to be rude or anything but…”

“Go on.” Martha encouraged when he trailed off. 

“I’ve seen you and Mr Noble, and I’ve seen what the Doctor thinks of you, Ma’am.” Latimer said. 

Donna rolled her eyes “Donna. Call me Donna. None of this Ma’am nonsense. I’ve had quite enough of that to last me a life time.” 

“There’s no difference in the way he feels about you Ma’am, Donna.” Latimer gave her a cheeky grin that wasn’t unlike the Doctor’s. Donna blushed and turned away from the pair of them. Martha laughed and grinned at the young boy. 

“And you totally kissed him.” Martha teased. Donna shot a warning look over her shoulders. 

“Shut it.” She hissed. “He didn’t know better.”

“No.” Martha smirked. “You kissed the Doctor, not John.”

“What?!” Donna laughed nervously. “No. Noooo. You’re as mad as him.”

Martha laughed and they huddled together in front of the old cottage until the sky stopped raining fire. Donna completely denied any feelings between her and the Doctor, which was nothing new but Martha just knew she was right. Something had changed between them since he’d changed back. She sighed as they decided to move back inside. Hopefully soon enough they would all be back inside the Tardis soon. She missed the Tardis and her beautifully decorated room. Her walls were plastered with posters to help her with her studies and her chest of drawers were covered in those little models that came apart. Her favourite one was the brain. She loved see all the different parts of the brain in all the different colours. It was beautiful. Never mind Time Lord’s brains, human brains were just incredible. She collapsed into one of the chairs whilst they waited for the Doctor to come back, normally they would have chased after him but Donna hadn’t made a move to follow him which made Martha hesitate. It was possible the Doctor had told her friend something more in their moments alone. She didn’t want to put him in anymore danger. Although they probably owed him one after all the hell he’d put them through for the last two months. 

The air in the rooms began to whirl around them and Martha laughed giddily as she heard the whir of the Tardis’s engines fill the room. He was back! He was really back! The Tardis materialised in the corner of the room, crushing one of the chairs that had fallen on the floor. Still, it wasn’t the worst parking she’d seen. The Doctor wasn’t the best Tardis parker in the universe, which was hilarious seeing as there was only one Tardis left. Strangely enough, Donna earned that title. She was a terrible driver, which was fair seeing as she’d only had a few lesson, but she was still a better parker than the Doctor. She even managed to fit the Tardis in her own tiny little bedroom, which was something even the Doctor hadn’t attempted. 

The Doctor poked his head out of the Tardis and then walked out with his hands in his pockets. He was back in his brown suit and long trench coat. He looked much more like himself. He gave them all a wide grin and a two fingered salute. 

“You miss me?” He teased gently as he flipped his sonic screwdriver in his hands. 

“Oh you wish, Spaceman.” Donna laughed. “I’ll just be glad to get my own room back.” The Doctor frowned at that, another point towards Martha’s theory.

“And good food!” Martha added enthusiastically. “I’d kill for a Chinese.” 

“And pizza!” Donna agreed. Oh God, pizza. She hadn’t had a pizza in so long! They’d have to order a takeaway to take back into the Tardis for their next film night.

“Hey!” The Doctor pouted at them. “I could still leave you here.”

“Hah!” Donna laughed. “Like the Old Girl would let you.”

“Is it over?” Latimer’s timid voice cut through their conversation.

The Doctor frowned and spun round to face him. “Oh hello. Timothy, yeah?” He smiled down at the boy.

“Yeah. Timothy Latimer. You taught me history, sir.” He scowled up at the Doctor.

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Yeah. I suppose I did. Bet the Old Girl thought that was funny. Time Lord teaching history. I prefer science.” He mused. “Less… timey wimey.”

Donna giggled “Timey wimey?” She teased him but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

“Yes! Far too many variables with history. Science is much more my style ,maybe literature. I’ve met enough famous authors to teach English. Ooh I’ve even met the bard now!” Donna coughed and raised her eyebrow at him. He smiled sheepishly. “But that doesn’t answer your question does it Timothy?” The Doctor tilted his head towards the boy.

He shook his head. “No, Sir.”

“It’s over. The Family can’t bother anyone now.” The Time Lord said darkly as he lifted his chin. “Oooh. I nearly forgot!” He pulled the infamous fob watch out of his pocket and passed it to the young blond. “This is for you.”

Latimer traced the weird letters on the back of the watch with a finger and frowned at the item in his hands. “But I can’t hear anything.”

“No. It’s empty. Just a watch now, but it keeps excellent time.”

“Unlike its former owner.” Donna chimed in with a smirk as she took the Doctor’s hand in hers. The Doctor turned to face her with a dopey smile. 

“Well, that’s what I’ve got you for.” He smiled fondly at her before turning back to Latimer. “Keep it, for good luck.” The Doctor said with all seriousness. 

“Thank you, Doctor.” Latimer grinned. 

“Bye Timmy!” The Doctor gave the boy a wave and kicked the doors of the Tardis open with his converse. “Come on, Martha, Donna. It’s time we got out of here.”

“Goodbye.” Latimer smiled as the three of them made their way inside their home. 

It was time to leave this godforsaken school.

* * *

The Doctor’s hearts were singing in his chest with joy. Martha and Donna were bickering about something over in the corner of the room whilst he navigated them through the time vortex. Rassilon, it felt good to be back. Especially since he’d managed to wash his mouth out with Gustarian mouthwash. His usual human kind hadn’t managed to get rid of the disgusting taste of pears. It was a miracle that it had taken him so long to notice it. Although he had been adequately distracted by Donna’s lips beforehand to take much noticed. 

He glanced up at his best friend and caught her eye. She blushed and smiled back at him fondly. Once he’d been put back into his body and John Noble’s life and personality had been taken over by his consciousness, the only thing he could really remember without any blank spots or distortions was how much he had loved Donna over the last two months. He’d already known his feelings for her had grown a little out of his control. He’d fallen hard for his best friend, which hadn’t been helped by their continued games across the universe and the ever increasing telepathic communication between them. 

But for two shining months he hadn’t been afraid to tell her, and by some miracle she’d loved him back. It had taken her a couple of weeks to admit it which is what had given him hope, hope that maybe she wasn’t pretending either. 

So he’d pushed aside all his inhibitions and taken the risk. He’d kissed her for the first time as the Doctor and Donna, without games or pretences.

And oh how she had kissed him back!

As their lips met he could feel the depth of her feelings swirling around him as if they were his own. It had been almost impossible for him to let her go, to break the connection between their minds. He knew that it was some base Time Lord instinct that was telling him to bond with her, to make her his wife. It had, after all, been a long time since he’d had a family to share a mental bond with. He had to keep reminding himself that humans didn’t work like that. They courted one another, they dated and loved and lost. Marriage wasn’t a survival instinct to them like it was to Time Lords. They had children out of wedlock, they were capable of that. So he tried to squash those thoughts down. 

A date though. A date he could do, but where and when in the universe would be special enough for his Donna. They’d already seen so much together. It would taken something incredibly to impress her after all of that. He frowned as he slowly pulled on a lever, guiding them away from the 1950s when they drifted too close. 

“Alright!” Martha called over to him and she dashed over to the console. “Donna is denying all and any accusations. It’s your turn Time Lord.”

He looked at his younger friend with a confused expression. What on Tardis was she on about? “I’m sorry?”

“Oh come off it. You two prance around the English countryside for two months as a happily married couple and there’s no consequences. I’m not stupid you know!” Martha exclaimed. “Unless you haven’t talked about it. Oh my god you haven’t talked about it!” She clapped her hand to her mouth with a panicked look in her eyes. “I’m so sorry!”

The Doctor looked to his ginger goddess, asking her with his eyes what they should do. Donna took a deep breath and nodded almost imperceptibly. The Doctor blinked in agreement and turned back to Martha. 

“We haven’t talked about it as such.” He admitted but squeezed the young girl’s shoulder. “Not in words at any rate.” He winked at Donna. 

“Oi! You prawn.” Donna laughed and strolled across the room to join them by the console. “You want words?”

“Oh god no.” The Doctor protested taking a step towards her. “Once you start you never stop!”

“You’re one to talk, Spaceman.” Donna poked him in the chest. “You’re like one of those toys when you push a button and can’t get it to stop singing.”

“Oi!” He frowned down at her. “I have a lovely singing voice, Earth Girl” 

“Oh for God’s sake just kiss already!” Martha yelled at them. 

The Doctor and Donna looked at Martha in stunned silence. Neither of them had noticed quite how close they had gotten. There was barely a centimetre between them now and those lips really did look quite tempting, but Martha was right, they really ought to talk about everything that had happened. It wouldn’t do to just jump in without discussing it. There was just too much history there not to. 

But that could wait until morning! 

“Oh well, if the lady insists.” The Doctor grinned and closed the gap between them, marvelling at the way his synapses burst into life the second their lips touched. Dear lord he could get very used to this. 

_I love you, Spaceman. _Donna sighed in his mind as her arms wrapped around his neck pulling him closer. 

_I love you too, Bella Donna. _He replied happily. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow we made it! 100k and they finally got together people!!! I struggled a lot with how to get them together. I always knew it would at some point after these chapters. At one point I was going to have a whole other chapter after this one of like PINING TO THE MAX but at the end of the day the Doctor didn't like that idea and just full on snogged Donna instead (I don't control these characters they do what they want) so that's what happened. I guess after 100k I thought we'd had enough slow burn build up. I guess this kind of marks the end of the first half of this story. I hope you'll like the way their dynamic develops with their relationship! And let me know what you thought of the get together. :D 
> 
> (Also vague disclaimer... I wrote the majority of this story before starting Classic Who and before the whole 'Contact' telepathy from a distance thing happened in New Who so within this story Time Lords can only talk to each other telepathically through physical contact unless they have a marriage/family bond, and the Doctor can choose to create psychic links with other species if he wants but these links and not the same as the bond between spouses and rely on touch to communicate properly. That's going to become more prevalent as the story progresses so I wanted to kind of clear that up now. )
> 
> Anyhoo. Hope you liked it!! Sorry about the cliffhanger! (it's not the last one of the story... sorry not sorry) but yeah. See you next chapter for more joy! (The next chapter is one of my personal favourites so far)
> 
> \- Yaz


	12. All the World's a Stage

Donna was starting to feel like they spent far too long saying goodbye to Martha Jones. This time they’d parked in her bedroom rather than outside of her house. It had been Martha’s choice. She'd wanted to give Donna and the Doctor a chance to negotiate their new relationship, if that’s what it was, in peace. Donna had protested against the decision. She loved having Martha onboard the Tardis. They had a right laugh winding the Doctor up together and gossiping about all his bizarre alien ways. More than once they’d stayed up the whole night whispering in Donna’s room about their adventures in the Tardis and theories about the Doctor’s past. He was dazzling but he was also a whirlwind. Sometimes he wouldn’t talk for days at a time or lock himself up in his workshop and other times he would dash around like the march hare, taking them from planet to planet like it was a race against time. 

Donna had gotten pretty good at navigating those mood swings and pulling him out of the slumps, the only exception being after Manhattan, but Martha’s presence in the Tardis made them far more tolerable. At least she had a friend to vent to. 

“You don’t have to go.” Donna repeated for what felt like the umpteenth time as she bounced gently on Martha’s bed. She found the action quite calming, helped her to release some of her excess energy and focus on the conversation.

“I know.” Martha nodded. “But I want to, think of it as a present.”

“If that’s your idea of a present remind me not to get you anything nice next time we visit The Mall.” Donna narrowed her eyes at her friend. 

“Donna. Be nice.” The Doctor said soothingly and kissed her hair. She hated when he did that, it made her heart do all sorts of acrobats in her chest, which was just rude!

“I am!” Donna pouted. “She doesn’t need to leave. We’re not _that _couple. Are we?” Donna asked in a panic. She’d had friends that had gotten together in the past and become completely insufferable. It was like the rest of the friendship group failed to exist to them after they’d gotten together. “Please tell me we’re not that couple!”

“Oh God no.” Martha laughed. “Not even close, but you’ve been through a bit of a weird time with the whole Family stuff. I know you’ve not talked about it.”

“Oh I don’t know…” The Doctor grinned widely and Donna blushed at his implication. They may not have talked about it but they’d certainly been enjoying their new privileges as a not fake married couple the last few of days before Martha had decided they needed some time on their own.

“Snogging is not talking about it!” Martha rolled her eyes at him. “And you need to get out on a proper date. You can’t do that with me tagging along all the time.”

“But Martha!” Donna protested. “We like you tagging along. You’re our friend.” 

“Donna, this is a good thing.” The Doctor reminded her. “And it’s only for a little while. We’re coming back for her.” 

“Oh we had better, Spaceman.” Donna glared at him. “Otherwise it’s hello Chiswick!”

“We’re not moving to Chiswick!” The Doctor protested with a frown. Wait was he talking about them both returning to Chiswick? That’s not what she had meant. She would never assume he would leave his Tardis and his adventures behind, not even for her, but the daft alien hadn’t even considered the fact she was joking about leaving him behind in the Tardis. It was actually kind of sweet. “Your mother would drive me round the bend!”

“I didn’t mean with you, Martian.” Donna rolled her eyes and took his hand.

“Oh.” He pouted and looked downtrodden. 

_I thought you said forever? _He whispered in her mind.

_I’m teasing you, love. _She shot back. “But we’re coming back.” 

“Ok, you have got to stop that. It’s weird.” Martha laughed. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice sooner.”

Donna pulled away from the Doctor with a sheepish smile. “Sorry!” They said together. 

“And anyway, you’re not getting rid of me that easily. I’ll give you both hell if you leave me here. I’m not done yet.” Martha pulled them both into a group hug. “I’ve got exams next week. You can pick me up after them. Don’t you dare be late.”

She pushed them both back into the Tardis with a laugh. “Alright, alright! We’re going!” Donna yelled as they were herded into the blue box. 

“Have fun!” Martha called. “I’ll see you soon!”

* * *

The Tardis engines were whirring happily around them as they drifted through the vortex. The Doctor couldn’t make up his mind about where he wanted to take her on her first date. Donna thought Earth boys were bad enough, but this really took the biscuit. Then again, Earth boys had a lot less options than the whole of time and space. The Doctor was spinning about his Tardis spouting out idea after idea but not settling on anything. Donna couldn’t help but laugh. He was bonkers, but it was sweet. He just wanted to make it special. Donna pushed off the pillar she was leaning on and walked over to the manic Time Lord. She caught his face in her hands and pulled him into a tender kiss. 

_Hey. _She whispered in her mind. 

He stopped in an instant, frozen to the spot as he gazed back at her. She felt a wave of love wash over her as he rested his forehead against hers. 

“You know it doesn’t matter where we go right?” She asked quietly. 

“It doesn’t?” He furrowed his brow and brushed his fingers along her cheek. 

She shook her head. “No. You don’t need to impress me, Spaceman.”

He frowned. “But it should be special.” 

Donna laughed. “It’s always going to be special you dumbo. It’s us.” She grinned as his face lit up. “And anyway, it honestly cannot be worse than my first date.”

“Donna!” He hissed pretending to be scandalised. “You can’t say that! She’ll hear you and jinx it!” He glanced up at the ceiling. The Tardis lights flickered in response and Donna could feel the ships anger at her pilot. 

“If anyone is going to jinx it, it’s you! Don’t be rude to the Old Girl.” Donna laughed. 

The Tardis giggled in her mind and Donna could almost feel the mental embrace of the ship. 

“Donna!” The Doctor whined.

“Doctor!” Donna whined right back at him with a smirk, earning herself a glare from her Time Lord. “What is it, Alien Boy?”

“Hang on!” He narrowed his eyes at her as a thought must have suddenly popped into his head. “What was so bad about your first date?”

Donna shuddered at the memory. She’d been a lot younger and far more naive back then. It had been at the end of the school years, when she was barely sixteen and Kevin Pierce had asked her out on a date. She hadn’t particularly fancied him but the idea of her getting a boyfriend had been too tempting to say no. All the popular girls at school had boyfriends so Donna would too. He’d not been too bad on the eye but not really her type, and a little too obsessed with rugby for her liking. He’d asked her to watch his end of year game as their date and then he’d tried to make a grab for her behind a tree near the field. Donna had smacked him right around the face and ran off as fast as she could. Her parents had been called into the school the next day but Donna had refused to apologise for her actions. Her mum had tried to make her apologise but her dad had marched her out of the room and told the teacher they needed to call out Kevin on his actions not his daughter. 

God she missed her dad.

“Donna?” The Doctor asked, his voice full of concern. Donna snapped out of the memory with a start and focused on shining brown eyes. 

She brushed her fingers along his temples and shared the memory with him, it was easier than explaining how she had felt in that moment. She never liked to say it aloud. It left her feeling… wrong.

“Oh Donna.” He caught her fingers that had been pressed against his temple in his hand and kissed them gently.

“It’s alright, Spaceman.” Donna smiled sadly up at him. “It was a long time ago, and I have the Oncoming Storm to protect me now.”

“Like you need it.” The Doctor laughed. “Sometimes I think the bad guys are more scared of you than me.” He teased her. 

“Quite right too.” Donna laughed. “Come on, Lover Boy! You promised me a date.” She swatted him in the arm gently and reached up to kiss his cheek. “And I have the perfect idea seeing as you won’t be able to choose anything until we reach the next century.”

“Oi!” He protested with a laugh. “Millenia at least.”

“We, my dear Doctor, are going to the theatre! A proper posh one too. I want an excuse to dress up and drink champagne.” She pulled him into a searing kiss and then ran off to her room to get changed. 

* * *

The Doctor was pacing outside the Tardis to keep warm whilst Donna finished getting ready inside. She’d banished him outside whilst she’d gotten changed seeing as most of her clothes had now migrated into his room. He wasn’t nervous. He was the Doctor, last of the Time Lords. He’d taken down whole civilisations and faced Satan himself and lived to tell the tale. He’d snogged Madame de Pompadour and Cleopatra! Why would he be nervous of one date with his best friend?

That would be ridiculous.

Technically speaking they’d already been on tons of dates. All across the universe, pretending to be married or dating or whatever it was that the locals assumed they were. He’d even managed to convince Donna’s human friends that they were a couple with ease, and then there had been two whole glorious months were he’d genuinely believed Donna was his wife. They been on a whole bunch of dates during that time. They’d been on long walks in the English countryside and they’d even managed to have a dance before the blasted Family had interrupted them. 

Of course, the Doctor hadn’t exactly been himself at the time but Donna had known exactly how she had felt for him, well… not exactly. It had gotten a tad confusing for his best friend but if she could bear dates with his human self, then surely she would love the upgraded Time Lord version.

Oh but what if she missed John Noble? She had loved him after all. What if she realised that the Doctor was just a mess compared to kind and simple John Noble? Maybe she preferred the clumsy lovable fool over his quick wit and tendency to show off. 

A spark flew off the Tardis and hit him in the back. “Ouch!” He hissed and spun round to glare at his ship. “What was that for?” 

His ship grumbled in the back of his mind. He was being an idiot. 

Donna wouldn’t have agreed to this if it wasn’t what she wanted. Rassilon knows it was impossible to get Donna to do anything she didn’t want to do. The redhead was almost as stubborn as he was. It was part of the reason why they were so good together. She never let him get away with anything too bad. She knew exactly when he was going too far and when to pull him back. He supposed he’d lost sight of the line over the years. It wasn’t always easy to see, not when some fierce attackers were threatening his friends, those he loved with both his hearts, but Donna could always see exactly when he needed to stop.

Donna was just brilliant like that.

God he chose his friends well, and Donna was quite frankly his best friend. Certainly in this regeneration, perhaps in all his regenerations. 

And he’d always liked a redhead. 

Now if only his body would play ball and let him be ginger in his next regeneration. They could match!

But what if Donna didn’t fancy his next regeneration? What if he presented as female next time? He ran his hands through his hair and paced around his beloved blue box. He could influence his regenerations to a certain extent but not much, if a regeneration wanted to be not male presenting then there wasn’t much he could do to stop it, and he wouldn’t want to but would Donna be alright with that? Would she even still be around to see it?

Humans lived such short lives. 

Another spark jumped from the Tardis! “Alright alright!” He yelled at his ship. “I know.”

“Are you talking to yourself, Spaceman?” Donna appeared in the doorway of the ship and his hearts soared in his chest. 

She looked beautiful. 

She always did. 

But this was… beyond. 

Her dress wasn’t entirely accurate for 1895 but it was beautiful. It was a stunning lace gown that fell down to the floor like a dream and it had a rather enticing low neckline. The Doctor swallowed as he took in the sight of his date.

“Donna…” He breathed. 

“Too much?” She winked at him.

“Oh no, you look lovely.” He gave her a fond smile. “Stunning in fact. I’ll be the envy of all the blokes in the theatre.”

Donna swatted him on the arm with her bag. “You tart.” 

“Oooh. Before I forget, I bought you this!” The Doctor rummaged through his pockets for the jewellery box he’d picked up earlier whilst he was waiting for Donna. He’d seen it shining in a shop window and it had reminded him of a golden amber rings in Donna’s eyes.

“What’s this? You going soft on me, Time Lord?” Donna teased as she took the box from him. He could feel her own nervousness and anticipation as their hands brushed past each other. 

He scowled and shuffled on his feet. “Just open it.” He muttered, feeling a little embarrassed. 

Donna cupped his face with her hand and he leaned into her touch. She had the most beautiful smile on her face. 

_Thank you, love. _He heard her whisper gently and he closed his eyes happily, filling his hearts with her love. 

She opened the box under his beady gaze and examined the contents. Inside the box was a thin gold metal bracelet that was engraved with intricate flowers. Imbedded in the band were tiny emeralds in the centre of each of the flowers. 

Donna stared at the bracelet as tears began to well up in her eyes. “Spaceman.” She whispered and then pulled him down by the tie into a kiss. He hummed happily as he threaded his fingers through her glorious ginger hair. 

The pulled apart after some passerby yelled at them. 

1895\. Not good on PDA. Oops. 

He grinned dopily down at his best friend, girlfriend? Ex-wife? 

Worth it! 

He helped her put on the bracelet and she twisted her wrist in the lamplight, watching the fiery light bounce off the golden metal, and then together they made their way to the theatre. 

* * *

Donna’s side were hurting as she laughed happily at the action on the stage. The Doctor had chosen well. It was the premiere of The Importance of Being Earnest in London and the Doctor had even promised to introduce them to Oscar after the show. Apparently they’d met before in a different regeneration but the Doctor insisted that Oscar Wilde would be smart enough to recognise him and Donna couldn’t wait! The play itself was hilarious and right up her street, probably even better than watching Love Labour’s Lost at the Globe. Although that was pretty hard to beat. It wasn’t very often she got to meet famous historical playwrights! 

“What do you think?” The Doctor hissed in her ear as the curtain came down. His legs were shaking and all crumpled up as he tried to sit comfortably in the small theatre seat. 

“Oh I don’t know.” She pretended to think about it. “Not quite Shakespeare, better than that sun mining spaceship. A solid eight out of ten.” 

“Really?” He frowned. 

“No you prawn.” She kissed his cheek. “It’s been amazing. Definitely better than Shakespeare. No witches for a start!” 

The Doctor laughed as the audience cheered for the actors on stage. “Come on!” He hissed and pulled her through the row. They shuffled awkwardly along the narrow gap until they reached the aisle. “Did I mention it’s Valentine’s day?” He grinned. 

“God you really are a sap. I thought that was all John, but it’s you!” Donna laughed as she remembered some of the lines John Noble had used on her. It had really been terrible. She’d heard better lines down at the pub on a Friday night. 

He frowned at the mention of his alter-ego. “Do you miss him?” He asked quietly as they made their way through the theatre and Donna almost regretted mentioning the Doctor’s human counterpart. 

Did she miss him? That was a good question. The idea of letting John go had been difficult for her but only because she had honestly believed that the Doctor wouldn’t love her in the way John Noble had, but it had taken less than five minutes for the Doctor to banish that notion when he’d kissed her. 

She shook her head and squeezed his hand. “No. He was a bit of a pushover.” She teased. “And he wasn’t my best friend.”

“But you loved him.” The Doctor insisted.

“Because he was you! Daft Martian.” She laughed. “If you hadn’t still been in there, I don’t think I could have loved him.”

The Doctor suddenly pulled her around a corner and they hid behind the bar as Oscar Wilde came out of the auditorium. He looked just like his portraits! Donna stifled a giggle behind her hand as they hid from the famous author. 

_I thought you said you knew him! _She smirked at the Doctor as she squeezed his hand. 

_Not like this. I don’t want to scare him off. _He muttered back to her. 

_You’re scared! _She sang gleefully in his mind. _Oh this is Brilliant! Go on, he’ll love you. I bet you’re just his type. _

Donna stood up and pulled the Doctor with her. “Oi! Oscar!” She shouted across the foyer. The man spun round on his heels to look towards the sudden call of his name. “I’ve got an old friend of yours. He’s too shy to say hello.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve never seen that man before in my life, and I would remember a face that beautiful.” Oscar called back with some disdain. 

“Sorry, Doctor.” Donna said loudly to the Time Lord. “Looks like you were right. He doesn’t recognise you.” She watched the author carefully as she spoke, knowing that he would have heard her. 

“Did you say Doctor?” The man glided over to them. “But it cannot be!”

“Hello, Oscar.” The Doctor gave the man a little wave as the dark hair man peered up at him. 

“Dear lord, Doctor!” Oscar smiled warmly up at the Time Lord. 

Donna brushed her fingers gently against the Doctor’s hand. 

_I told you so! _She sniggered.

_Shut it, Earth Girl! _He shot her an amused glare. 

“Oh and this must be your wife! Such a pity. I had always hoped…” Oscar sighed wistfully. “She is a beauty though, Doctor. I can see why such a lady turned your eye.”

“Oh no.” Donna shook her head. “We’re not married.” It was almost strange to deny it after so long of their fake dating shenanigans or their two month of marital bliss, but it was weird to pretend they were married when they were on a first date. 

“Oscar, meet Donna Noble. My girlfriend.” The Doctor announced proudly. 

_Girlfriend? _She asked him in the privacy of their minds as she linked their fingers together.

_Too much? _He frowned as he looked at her with a worried look on his face. 

_No. Just…_She hesitated. How could she explain that the term didn’t quite feel like enough? It couldn’t possible quantify what she felt for him and the things they’d seen and shared together. _No. Girlfriend is as good as any. _

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Noble. Now Doctor. Tell me. How is it that you can change your face?” Oscar asked with enraptured curiosity. “And you can talk to your lady through just the touch of a hand?”

“Ooh he’s good! Didn’t I tell you Donna?” The Doctor grinned. “You are brilliant! Genius in fact.”

Donna let the two friends catch up whilst she watched her Time Lord fondly and ordered a drink at the bar. He was always so excitably when he was happy, his gesticulated wildly whilst he tried to explain regeneration to the playwright. With any other bloke on any other date she might have been frustrated at being forgotten but she knew the Doctor better than that. Every so often he was glance up at her with his dazzling smile and she could almost feel the flutter of his mind brush against hers. They couldn’t talk without touching, not without a proper mental bond that was very intimate in Time Lord culture, but he’d opened her mind enough for her to be able to sense him in close proximity. She laughed to herself when she remembered how frightened she’d been when she’d first accidentally connected to the Time Lord in his sleep, how she’d been afraid that her travels with the Doctor had made her less than human. 

Now she couldn’t imagine her life without it. 

The Doctor theorised that she would have always been slightly more proficient at telepathic abilities. That’s why the Tardis had bonded with her so quickly and why she’d been able to recreate the mental bond from the caves when the Doctor had challenged her to read his thoughts when he was trying to shield them. Donna didn’t really care about the science behind it. She was quite content in the knowledge that she had this amazing ability to share with the Doctor that she’d never experienced in her life before. No wonder he was sometime a bit daft when it came to reading the subtleties of human emotions, his species didn’t need to read it not when they could feel it. 

Donna frowned as she felt a sudden urge to return to the Tardis. She could almost see the coordinates in her mind as if they were written in ink on her napkin. She shook her head and jumped off her bar stool to rejoin her date. She tucked easily into his side and squeezed his hand. He reached down to kiss her hair.

“Well Oscar. This has been brilliant. Honestly really. You are phenomenal! Molto Bene!” The Doctor shook the author’s hand fiercely. 

“And to you, my darling Doctor. Remember old fellow, always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much.” Oscar winked at the Doctor and Donna gasped. 

“Noooo!” She giggled. 

“Donna…” The Doctor sighed in warning. “Remember when we are, love.” 

Oscar laughed. “Now Now Doctor, do not think me a fool.” Oscar raised an eyebrow at the Time Lord before turning to face Donna. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “It was an honour to meet you Donna Noble. I will not keep you from your date any longer.” 

“Oh the honour was mine, Oscar Wilde.” Donna grinned. “See you around maybe?”

“Oh let’s hope so.” Oscar winked at her. “And bring tall dark and handsome with you.”

“Ok!” The Doctor cut in loudly. “We’ll be off then. Good bye Oscar. Stay brilliant.”

* * *

Donna stared wistfully out at the stars from where she was sitting on the bench. They seemed so tiny now that they were back on Earth. She’d seen the creation of some of these stars. It was one of the things they liked to do on their more peaceful days on the Tardis, sit on the edge of the box with their legs dangling over the edge whilst they watched a star bursting into life. It always reminded her of her first trip in the Tardis witnessing the birth of the Earth. She shivered as the cold wind whipped around her. The Doctor shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She looked up at him with a tired smile. 

The show had been phenomenal, the company had been even better. They’d even managed to grab some dinner after the show. It wasn’t nearly as bad as the food she’d had at the school either, but she still preferred food from her own time. They’d talked a lot, sometimes they’d gotten cross with each other when the other said something daft but it had been important. 

It turned out the reason they kept pretending they were married throughout their travels was because the Doctor had been suppressing his feelings for her and vice versa. He’d been too conflicted over his feelings for his former friend and she’s been too insecure to believe he’d ever fancy her and pretending it was all against some space law. Even after she’d seen interspecies relationships out in the colonies. 

They’d both been far too stupid to realise the truth until the Family had forced their hand. 

Donna had asked him whether he was confusing John Noble’s feelings for his which had made him all sulky for a while until he’d realised she was genuinely worried about it. Apparently that was one of the daft things to think, even though he’d been worried that her feelings were really for his counterpart. 

Donna stiffened as she felt that pull towards the Tardis again, the urge to bring the Doctor with her. It was very important that he went too.

“Donna?” He grabbed her hand and she realised she had stood up. 

What the? 

She had been on the bench feeding the ducks just a second ago. Now the bread was scattered on the grass in front of her and the Doctor had taken hold of her wrist to stop her from wandering off. 

“Sorry. Don’t know what came over me.” She mumbled as she sat back down and snuggled up to his side. It wasn’t as effective as she would have liked. Time Lords had a lower body temperature than humans which meant that Donna couldn’t use her boyfriend as a living radiator like she had done in previous relationships. 

The Doctor kissed her hair as she snuggled into him, listening to his twin heartbeats. 

“You know…” He mused. “In your last relationship, you were getting married within six months. We’ve only just had our first date.”

“It’s not a competition, Time Boy.” Donna chided. “And that approach didn’t exactly work out for me.”

“Oh I think it worked better than you expected.” He laughed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You met me!”

“Getting a bit cocky there, Time Lord.” Donna jabbed him in the ribs and he yelped. 

“What was that for?” He cried. 

“Tart.” She rolled her eyes. “I could have met some brilliant human man instead.” She suggested. “Could be married with kids by now, stable job and everything.”

“But you’ve got me.” He insisted. 

“Yup, and I’m freezing my arse off in 1895. What a life!” She replied sarcastically. 

“Shame we can’t go back on our personal timelines and prevent all this then.” The Doctor teased and kissed her temple. 

Donna smiled fondly up at her mad man. “Oh yes. A complete shame.” She pulled him down into a proper kiss before pulling away. “Whatever shall we do?”

The Doctor tilted his head and grinned. “Tardis?”

“Tardis!” She agreed happily and pulled him off the bench. Together they ran hand in hand towards their home. 

* * *

The Doctor was a giddy as a school boy with a crush. It was the only way that he could describe how ridiculously happy he felt. The date between them had gone pretty well. The play he’d chosen had been a resounding success and he’d even managed to catch up with his old friend. Donna had seemed quite amused by all that, he was thankful that she had given him the space to do that, even on their date. She just got him like that. 

As they ran inside the Tardis he greeted his ship happily and then pulled the redhead up into a kiss. A kiss that would have been far too inappropriate for the streets of 1890s London. His hands wandered down to Donna’s waist as he marvelled at how well they fit together. She moaned into the kiss and reached back on the console, accidentally hitting a switch.

The Tardis jolted as they began to dematerialise. They landed on the grates of the ship with a thump, The Doctor had fast enough reactions that he was able to pull Donna on top of him to break her fall. He winced as his head bashed against the floor. 

“Bloody hell, Donna!” He groaned. “Warn a Time Lord before you launch us into the time vortex.”

“Oh it’s not like I knew what I was doing, Alien Boy.” She grumbled. “Still, there’s worse ways to land.” She winked down at him and he felt his face flush as he noticed for the first time how she had landed straddling his hips. 

“Oh…yeah. Suppose there is.” He stammered. 

“But first! Planet of the Thespians!” She announced and jumped up to look at the controls of the Tardis. 

The Doctor frowned. Planet of the what now? He searched through the names and places in his mind. Did she mean Thespia? How would she know about Thespia? He was pretty certain he’d never mentioned it. 

“Well come on then!” Donna cried. “Chop chop, Alien Boy! The Old Girl won’t drive herself.” 

“Well…” He mused. She could absolutely drive herself and she often did just to spite him. The only time she really listened was when he activated one of the emergency protocols to get his friends home safely. 

“I didn’t mean literally!” Donna rolled her eyes. 

“Oh go on then.” The Doctor grinned as he pulled down on the right lever, locking in the coordinates. “Thespia! Here we come!”

* * *

Donna jumped up and down on the dark soil beneath her feet to test the gravity, it didn’t feel too different to Earth, maybe a little less pull. She should weigh herself here. It would give her a good excuse to lay off the dieting for a while. Not that she’d needed to diet with all the running about she’d been doing with the Doctor, but the mindset was hard to shake. They’d landed on the most picturesque of planets. It was like something out of Rapunzel or Snow White. The Tardis had landed in what looked like an old English farm, the soil was ploughed neatly in little rows and in the distance she could see a tiny wooden windmill. To her left were acres and acres of rich green forests that reached out almost all the way to the horizon, except for a peak of glittering green ocean sneaking out over the tops of the trees. To her right was a stunning majestic old castle. It had at least three looming towers with flaming red banners draped from the windows. She could almost imagine the calvary riding out from beyond the gates of the castle walls, out to fight some trolls or fierce dragons. It was right out of Arthurian legend. There were even birds of prey circling the turrets of the dark grey building. Donna had to squint to see them properly as a brilliant shining sun was glowing brightly in the sky. The sky was the only thing that really stood out as alien. It was emerald green, which was probably why the ocean were the stunning colour that they were. It was all so beautiful.

She was still wearing the lace evening gown she’d worn to the theatre and the beautiful golden bracelet that the Doctor had bought for her back in the London. The Doctor knelt down and grabbed a handful of the soil, Donna rolled her eyes as he licked up a mouthful of the dirt and then wrinkled his nose. 

“Donna….” He said cautiously. “Why did you want to come here?”

Donna frowned. How was she supposed to know? She didn’t even know such a planet existed when she suggested it, she just thought it would be funny to watch a load of alien actors reciting the bard. “Dunno.” She shrugged. 

“How did you know about Thespia?” He pressed as he stood up, dusting off his suit.

“I didn’t” She raised an eyebrow. “What is this, twenty questions? My favourite colour is purple and I like Coldplay.” She teased. 

The Doctor frown and huffed a sigh. He didn’t look convince by her answer. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at her. She blinked as she was suddenly blinded by blue light. “Oi!” She knocked the thing out of his hands. “No beeping me without asking!”

“Sorry.” He mumbled and reached down to pick up his screwdriver. “Come on then, might as well have a look around.”

“Oh cheer up, Spaceman. What’s gotten into you?” She laughed as she pulled him away from the Tardis and towards a large castle. “This is right out of a fairytale!”

“Hmm.” The Doctor replied darkly. “Does that make you the princess?”

“Oh surely I’m the queen!” Donna enthused. “This way come on!” She dragged his hand towards the castle.

“Nah. Let’s get off the beaten track.” He suggested. “Forests are always more fun. You never know what you’ll find in the forest.” 

Donna frowned. She didn’t want to go through the forest. She wanted to go to the castle. The Doctor had to go to the castle. Her legs were almost running towards the castle without her choosing to move. She just knew that’s where they should be. 

“Oh come on, Spaceman. Please?” She did her best impression of his puppy dog eyes. 

The Doctor looked wistfully towards the lush dark green forests and then back towards her. He sighed and nodded. “Ok then. Lead the way.” He said as he looked thoughtfully at the dark bricked castle behind her. “Allons-y” He muttered without his usual enthusiasm.

They trekked across the fields hand in hand, the Doctor was being unnaturally quiet. Normally if he wasn’t wittering on about the history of the planet out loud then he was at least humming thoughtfully in the back of her mind. It was rare for her not to be able to sense him these days when they held hands. They had both found a plethora of comfort in their newly found psychic link. The closer they got to the castle gate the more Donna’s head began to spin. Her limbs felt heavy and she stumbled more than once only to be caught in the Doctor’s arms.

“Do you need to go back?” He asked her. His eyes were full of concern and his brow was furrowed. She hadn’t seen him look quite this serious since he’d been back as himself. It was unnerving to say the least. Maybe they should head back, she was obviously tired and it would be borderline reckless to explore if she couldn’t even handle a mile or so walking, especially if the Doctor was there. He didn’t always have the best luck. It was a minor miracle they’d made it all the way through The Importance of Being Earnest without being attacked by some crazy aliens. 

Yeah they should really go back to the Tardis. She just wanted to curl up in their bedroom together until she fell asleep.

She gasped as she felt a stabbing sensation in her temples.

“Well… good. Fine. Right then. If you’re sure.” The Doctor frowned and they continued walking. 

“If I’m sure about what?” She snapped. She hadn’t said anything and he can’t have been reading her mind because she was certain she been about to tell him to turn around. 

“You want to see the castle?” He reminded her as if he were stating the obvious. 

“Right.” She replied dumbly. “Of course.” She supposed she did want to see it even if she couldn’t quite remember why.

* * *

The Doctor was starting to forget that strange sense of foreboding that he’d had ever since they’d landed and he was getting wrapped up in the adventure as they crossed the bridge. 

“Of course the Earth word thespian comes directly from your early ancestors that encountered the Thespians. Brilliant race, shapeshifters and phenomenal story tellers. I’ve never seen a play like a Thespian play. They eventually got bored of their own narratives and characters and began to search out over the entire universe. Don’t let the planet fool you, Donna. The Thespians are a highly advanced species. Level seven planet according to the Shadow Proclamation. They landed on Earth back in the Ancient Greek times. It changed the course of human theatre. Most drama troupes these days will have at least one Thespian in, all the successful ones at any rate. There’s just something about them, Donna. It’s beautiful. Genius really!”

He paused as he noted the lack of response from his companion and turned around. “Donna?” 

She was back at the beginning of the bridge. Her knees had collapsed at a funny angle and she seemed to be struggling to breath. 

“DONNA!” He yelled and launched back across the bridge. God he was so thick! He’d known something was the matter with her. Now he thought about it she’d been acting odd since dinner. More than once she’d seemed to start to get up from the table without realising it before he’d asked her a question and she’d sat back down, and she was forgetting things too easily. Super temp Donna Noble did not forget the last sentence she’d just said. He’d put it down to tiredness but something was clearly wrong. He should have realised as soon as he’d tasted the Huon Particles in the soil. He should have pulled her back onto the Tardis and into the med bay immediately. 

“Donna! Look at me” He crouched down next to her. Her eyes were staring soullessly ahead of her as she wheezed heavily. He cupped her face and looked deeper into her eyes, there was no sign of recognition or fire that he’d come to expect from those beautiful blue eyes. 

“No!” He hissed. “Come on, Donna!” He pressed his forehead to hers and brought his fingers up to her temples.

Silence. 

Now he thought about it, she’d been silent ever since they’d landed. Why hadn’t he noticed? How hadn’t he noticed?

His Time Lord instincts should have been screaming at him that there was something wrong with his mate. 

“Spaceman?” She whispered weakly and The Doctor almost cried with relief as he felt the faintest tickle of her mind against his. 

“Yeah. Donna. It’s me. That’s it. Come on.” He whispered as he placed a kiss on her forehead. “There we go.” He encouraged as he felt her mind regain some strength.

Donna managed to shuffle around so her legs were crossed more normally than before and her breathing returned to normal. “What the flip was that?” She snapped as she pulled herself to her feet. “Oh look! We’re here! Castle! Come on!” She tugged his hand and pulled him back down along the bridge towards the gate. 

“Donna.” He tried to protest but she wasn’t listening. “DONNA!” He yelled and she turned round to face him with an amused smirk on her face. “We should leave. Now.” He tried to lead them back towards the Tardis but she wasn’t having any of it. 

“Why’s that then?” She smirked. “Scared, Alien Boy?” 

“What?” He frowned. “What? No! Just something doesn’t feel right.” 

“It never does with you.” Donna laughed. “I thought you preferred it that way?”

The Doctor hissed as she pushed him in exactly the right way. Damn it! She knew if he left now it would always bug him. What was it about the castle that was making Donna act so weird? He just had to know. It was interesting and dangerous. A lethal combination for him.

“Oh…” He groaned and ran his free hand through his hair. “Blimey I’m gonna regret this.” He muttered and together they pushed open the big wooden door to the castle. 

* * *

The castle was dark and damp inside, like it had been taken from the set of Dracula or Van Helsing. It smelled like dust and mould in the cool dark air, and the Doctor grimaced as the taste of psychic goo hit the back of his throat. On the walls were flickering blue torches, a result of increased Cerebrium particles in the air. He did a mental calculation and decided the levels wouldn’t be harmful to Donna unless they were in the castle for more than a week. What was interesting was that he hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary outside of the castle. He’d even checked the scanners before leaving the Tardis to make sure. He picked up a torch from one of the black metal holders and waved it in front of him.

“You’d think for a level seven planet they would have invented electricity by now!” Donna muttered sarcastically “and central heating wouldn’t go amiss either. It’s bloody freezing in here!”

“The Thespians have been using hydropower and solar power for millennia, Donna” He mused quietly “but they do favour the dramatics. Stay close.”

“This is a trap isn’t it?” Donna sighed at the inevitable danger they always found themselves in.

“Yes, well.” He scratched the back of his neck. “More of a play, and we’re in the starring role.” He grinned as he felt the usual spike of adrenaline that kept him travelling after so many years. 

“Oh goody!” Donna grumbled “I’ve been meaning to get some use out my improv classes.”

“You do improv classes?” He turn to look at his best friend with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah. Got a problem with that, Spaceman?” Donna shot back.

“No. No. You’re just full of surprises you are, my brilliant Donna.” He grinned and took her hand in the darkness. There was nothing but silence from her mind. He took a deep breath and faced back into the dark foyer on the castle with a scowl. 

Cerebrium particles usually increased the synaptic response in the brain and increased the level of telepathic abilities, like a torch in a room full of mirrors. Donna’s mind should have been singing loudly in his, especially with the psychic link he had created, once they touched but there was just a painful silence. Something was manipulating the air in the castle with some kind of psychic dampener or manipulator, intercepting their connection. It was making him anxious and he didn’t like anxious. 

“Donna? Are you alright?” He asked quietly to his companion.

“Course I am, Spaceman.” Donna smiled up at him.

“You sure? Because I can’t hear you?” He scowled back. Had he upset her without realising it? He’d been sure their date had been going well. Perhaps he’d spent too long talking with Oscar. Donna would have dragged him away if it had been a problem. She wasn’t exactly shy about making her opinions known. It was one of the many reasons why he loved her. 

“Then why are you replying, Dumbo?” She laughed and swatted him on the arm lightly. 

What? 

That wasn’t what he meant. Was she being obtuse on purpose? He thought she enjoyed their mental connection. It had proven pretty handy over the last few weeks, before the Family at any rate. It enabled them to plan without the risk of threats eavesdropping on their conversation. Well, apart from telepathic races but they weren’t exactly common. 

_Donna? _He thought forcefully as he brushed her hair from her cheeks, his fingers lingering on her temple.

Silence.

He gazed into her beautiful kind trusting eyes, there was no sign of confusion or hurt. She wasn’t forcibly blocking him, he couldn’t feel her usual door like defences and it was almost like she didn’t even remember their connection.

Something was very wrong.

He spun round on the heels of his feet and he felt his long coat whisk round behind him. He whipped out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the castle before looking intensely at the readings. They weren’t alone. 

“I will say this only once.” He hissed at the air in front of them. “Consider this your only warning. Let Donna go.”

Donna remained silent by his side. 

There was an eery giggle that echoed around the darkened room. Blimey he hated Thespians. They would never do anything straight to the point, it was all flamboyance and show for them. They thrived off the performance of life more than any other species on the universe. 

“Come on!” He yelled, almost snarling at the unseen Thespian. “I don’t fancy a monologue! So what do you say? Put the lights up and let’s talk.” 

“The Time Lord is a clever one.” A fairy like voice, chimed from the rafters and there was the clunk of a spotlight turning on. 

The Doctor shielded his eyes as the room burst into life. The spotlight landed on one of the rafters above him. A small humanoid with a tailcoat and a top hat was perched on top of the beam, swinging out as they gripped on with one hand. The Doctor rolled his eyes, and his friends called him dramatic. This was a next level performance. 

“Hello!” He called up to the Thespian with a little wave. “I’m the Doctor. The clever one. And you are?”

The Thespian giggled and swung round on the beam so they could tip their hat and give the Doctor a bow. “Ren. At your service.” 

“Well then Ren.” He replied with a roll of his tongue. “What have you done to her? Some kind of psychic control, but how? The Thespians aren’t a telepathic race and are, by all accounts, pretty low of the psychic ladder of species. Even humans are better than you lot at that. So some kind of machine, yes? That explains the psychic goo and residue Cerebrium particles in the air, you’ve created a device to manipulate the brain waves, but!” He exclaimed as he spun round with his hands tugging at his hair to help stimulate his synaptic response whilst he tried to figure it all out. “But you’d still need something to link between your machine and Donna, What is it? What am I missing?”

Ren giggled again. “A Time Lord in love. How trivial! How easy to manipulate!” They sang manically. 

“Manipulate? Manipulate how?” The Doctor glared at the Thespian. “What do you want from me? Let her go and I’ll help you! Please just let her go!” He thundered, his shouts echoing sonorously around the room.

“Now, now. Careful not to overact Doctor. You are not the star of this show.” Ren chided. “That pleasure goes to the most important woman in the universe, who now belongs to me!” They hissed viciously and the lights went out. 

“No!!” The Doctor yelled as he heard the hiss of gas fill the room before the lights flickered up. The room seemed less ancient now but there was a low mist rolling over the floor, dry ice. 

“And end scene.” The alien’s voice was now less melodic. They were still humanoid but they were now wearing a long hooded robe. “A little less of the yelling this time, Doctor. We need more light and shade, more dynamic! From the top of Act Two! ACTION!” 

“What?” The Doctor frowned and spun around. The lights dropped back down and the Doctor had to blink a few times before his eyes adjusted. “What do you mean she belongs to you?”

“She is mine.” A low voice hissed in the darkness and the Doctor jumped back when he felt something start to crawl up his leg, blasted shapeshifter. Snake eyes glowed in the dark, all amber and sinister. “You control the Doctor Donna, you control the fate of the universsse.” Ren hissed. “All the charactersss, all the stories. All mine.”

“You want stories? I’ll give them to you. I have the whole of time and space locked in up in here.” He tapped his head. “Oh…” He trailed off as a realisation hit him. “But you already knew that.”

“Yessss.” The Thespian’s forked tongue flickered in his ear.

“Because I’m not the first Time Lord. The Huon Particles.” He inhaled sharply. “But they’ve all gone. How? How could they possibly have been here!” 

“A Time Lord came. Looking for The Doctor. A rebel. A rogue. A renegade. A Time Lord who sstole a Tardisss and interferesss.” The snake slithered back towards the floor and morphed back into the top hatted figure. “They spoke of The Darkness. The Doctor Donna, the most important woman in the universe. Oh the stories they would have! It would be more than any other Thespian in the history of the universe! But how to capture such knowledge?”

“Take it. I’ll tell you. Please.” The Doctor begged. Donna’s silence was shatteringly loud. He hadn’t even realised how much he relied on her.

“So I contacted my family on Sol 3. We knew you would be there. The Doctor and his precious human race, and a plan was hatched to capture the hearts of the Time Lord and his precious mate, to plant our transponder on the bride.” Ren was now in full monologue mode. The Doctor rolled his eyes, at least they were predictable. He took the alien’s distraction as a chance to check up on Donna. 

She was no longer standing up normally. Instead she now resembled something like a marionette. Her knees were crumbled and her arms fell limply at her side. Her head swung almost unnaturally from side to side. Ren had made her their puppet. The Doctor held her face in his hands. Still nothing. He hissed under his breath and turned to face their foe. 

Transponder. 

What transponder?

Think. Think. Think! Come on!

What was new? Had Donna ingested something at the restaurant? Some kind of microchip that had been hidden in her food? He pulled out his screwdriver and began to scan her for anything unusual. 

“No cheating!” The Thespian cried and Donna reached out to snatch the sonic from his grasp.

“Cheating?!” He shouted back. “How am I the one that’s cheating? JUST LET HER GO!” He roared. 

Ren gave him a slow and sinister grin. “Oh well, if you insist.” They snapped their fingers and Donna fell to the ground, the invisible strings cut.

“DONNA!” He dropped to his knees and put his fingers to her temples, resting his forehead against hers. “I can’t hear anything. Why can’t I hear anything?”

“She was a strong one, your Donna, resisted our control for much longer than any of the test subjects, but I suppose we should have expected that from her.” The Thespian giggled. “You’re too late, Doctor. We’ve been draining all her stories and life from her since the moment we got control. She’s just a shell now.”

The Doctor saw red. 

Donna Noble was the most brilliant being he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing. She could not and would not be reduced to just a shell. If these tiny insignificant aliens thought they could take her away from him that easily then they were severely underestimating both him and his faith in her. 

“I warned you.” He hissed. “I gave you a chance. One chance. Let her go. It was as simple as that. I could have given you all the knowledge you desired but you were just too thick to understand!” He stalked towards them. “I will save her, and then I will make sure you never hurt anyone again.”

“Ooooh” Ren laughed manically. “I’m quivering in my boots!”

The Doctor snarled and spun back round to face Donna. He crouch down beside her and cradled her head in his eyes. Her breathing was shallow and her face had gone white as a sheet. He took a deep breath when he realised that if he didn’t do something soon then she was going to die. 

He had to break the psychic control they had over her. For the first time in centuries he dropped all his mental defences, pressing his forehead against hers whilst he gripped her temples. This had to work. He was out of other ideas. 

_DONNA!!! _

He screamed as loudly as he possibly could, letting himself tumble headfirst into her mind. 

_DONNA!!!!!_

He tried again when he got no response. To his great relief he felt her mind stirring. He took and deep breath and opened his eyes, wincing as bright light hit him. He was on a beach, Earth by the looks of it. The sun was shining up in the cerulean sky, a few clouds scatters in between the vast expanses of blue. The sand shifted under his feet as he wriggled his toes in his shoes. He let out a shaky breath as he looked around. A familiar shock of red hair was a distance away along the sand.

Donna.

He ran as fast as he could towards her but he wasn’t getting any closer. He cried out in frustration, damn it! This must be a dream, her dream. She was staring out into the ocean thoughtfully skimming pebbles across the shimmering water. The Doctor watched as a stone bounced fours times before sinking under the gentle waves. 

“DONNA!” He called out to her, echoing it in his mind just in case. She looked up towards him with a puzzled expression.

The length of golden sand that had separated them disappeared in an instant and he was able to pull her into a tight embrace. 

“Spaceman?” She asked cautiously, he heard the words aloud and in his mind in a strange reverberation.

“Yeah, Donna, it’s me.” He kissed her forehead, tears streaming down his face. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“You couldn’t lose me even if you tried.” She echoed his words from under the Thames back at him and then scowled. “Where are we?”

“At a guess?” He mused as he looked around them at the beach. “In your mind. You probably associate this place with happy memories.”

“I used to come here with my dad as a kid. He would buy me ice-cream.” She smiled wistfully. “Never seen it so quiet, though.”

“That’s because it’s not real.” He explained. “You need to focus. You need to wake up.”

Donna frowned. “You what?”

“You need to wake up.” He reiterated as he rubbed his face. “Preferably sooner rather than later. Come on, love!”

“But I am awake!” She yelled back at him. “How can we be on this beach if I’m not awake?”

The Doctor sighed in frustration. “Right. Yes. Good question. Tell me, Donna. What do you smell?” He asked, praying to whatever Gods that might exist that she could smell the same things as him, the dusty old castle and damp rot smell, as appose to the salty sea air that should accompany the beach. “What do you hear?”

Donna frowned as she closed her eyes to focus on what he asked her. “I don’t know.” She sighed. “I don’t understand!”

“Yes, you do!” He insisted. “Come on, Donna, you’re brilliant. You can do this. I know you can!”

“Starlight.” She hummed thoughtfully. “Two heartbeats.”

The Doctor felt his hearts beat faster in his chest at her words but now was not the time to get sentimental. “Don’t get soppy on me now, Donna Noble.”

“Damp, it’s cold.” She shivered and wrapped her arms around her as if she was just realising that. 

“Good!” He nodded enthusiastically “Good, what else?”

She gasped and opened her eyes with a start. Her image flickered in front of him and he felt himself be pulled away from her as their mind began to separate. “The bracelet!” She yelled as she faded from view.

The bracelet?

“The Bracelet!” He yelled as he woke up on the castle floor and roughly pulled her wrist towards him. The emerald stones, like the skies of Thespia, were glowing. “Oh you beautiful thing.” He murmured.

“What!?” Ren cried and launched towards him but it was too late. The Doctor had pulled the golden bracelet from Donna’s wrist and stuffed it safely into his coat pocket, another dimension away. 

Donna released his sonic screwdriver limply and groaned as she started to wake up. The Doctor smiled down at her softly and brushed her hair away from her eyes. 

_Spaceman? _She slurred weakly.

_Welcome back Earth Girl. _He chuckled in relief. She was alright.

Now he just to deal with the impish alien in front of them. 

* * *

The Doctor ran off through the corridors of the castle, using his sonic screwdriver as a torch. Donna, as she always did, ran after him. She hauled up her long dress and ran as fast as she could. Her legs felt wobbly after her stint as a marionette but her movements were her own again. No more weird urges to fly off into space, no more coordinates and alien planet names flashing before her eyes. The planets she knew were the ones the Doctor had shown her, and even then some of the names were fuzzy. They’d been to so many weird and wonderful places now. The Doctor was catching her up on what she’d missed when she been all puppety. Half of it didn’t make any sense, she could swear he made most of this stuff up. It was all words to her. 

“And then!” He gesticulated wildly as they raced down the corridors. “They started going all mumbo jumbo circus act on me! Honestly, Donna, you think I’m dramatic? You should have seen it. It was actually quite brilliant. Like one of those interactive stories where you get to choose what happens next!”

“Oh well, I’m glad someone had fun!” She exclaimed sarcastically. 

“No, you’re right. Sorry.” He smiled sheepishly at her and stopped to look at her. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes!” She yelled in exasperation. He’d already asked her about a million times already. She was starting to think she should just say no to see how’d he react. How many spa planets would she get out of that one? How many foot massages or breakfast in beds? 

The Doctor didn’t look convinced. “Donna…” He started to say, reaching into his coat pocket for his sonic. 

“No! No beeping me.” She jabbed him in the chest. “But if you’re lucky I’ll allow you to drag me to the med bay when we’re back on the Tardis.” She relented, he seemed to approve of that and he leaned in to kiss her on the hair but she caught his face in her hands and pulled him into a proper kiss. 

_Thank you, Donna. _She heard him say. 

She smiled and reminded him nonverbally that she loved him. 

“Ooh!” The Doctor suddenly lunged towards a glimmering patch on the floor. “Donna! Come have a look at this!” He picked up a strange jelly globule of squelchy goo in his hands and she had to clasp her hands over her ears and she had thundering white noise in her mind. 

“Oi!” She tried to yell over the sound in her head. “Watch it, spaceman!” 

The Doctor dropped the goo with a grin. “Brilliant isn’t it? Psychic goo! That means the machine is close and we just have to switch it all off and then it’s back to the Tardis for us.”

“But what happened to Laurence Olivier?” Donna asked. The details were still a bit hazy from when she’d first snapped out of their control. 

“Thespians are not designed to use psychic links. Their strength is shapeshifting and somewhere along the evolution chain they gave up psychic abilities altogether. When you managed to break free I was able to harness that explosive energy and feed it back onto them. Knocked them out for a while. Ren will wake up with one hell of a headache and no memory of you or me.” The Doctor explained as they ambled more slowly along the corridor, following a trail of psychic goo. “Oh, here we go!” 

In the centre of the large throne room stood a gigantic machine. It looked like something out of Star Trek. It might have been a giant vacuum cleaner for all she knew. There was a little disc spinning around on the top of the machine and a rhythmical beep resonating around the room. 

“What’s that do then?” She raised her eyebrow. “Apart from turn me into Pinocchio. I got that bit.” 

“Well…” He mused. “That’s just it really. Well, not really but you wouldn’t understand it, well… most of it. It’s all sciencey jargon.” 

“Like that’s ever stopped you before, time boy. Go on. Try me.” She laughed at the affronted look on his face. 

“Oh alright then.” He agreed with a toothy grin and pulled out his sonic. He started pulling out wires and buzzing the ends with the screwdriver, showering his suit in sparks. It was a miracle his hair didn’t catch fire with the amount of product he used. 

The Doctor launched into an explanation of telepathy and psychic wavelengths being resonated in sound chambers of the great machine that Donna struggled to follow. She caught the odd word but found herself nodding along with a bemused look on her face. She wasn’t about to admit she’d been wrong. Soon enough the Time Lord had reduced the machine to junk metal and she cut off his science rant with a kiss.

“I think I get the picture.” She whispered against his lips as she pulled away. 

He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Oh you kept up then?” 

She whacked him over the back of the head. “Don't be cheeky. Come on, Time Boy. Let’s get home. I’m bushed. Hot cocoa and a good book I think.” She smiled fondly at him and then kissed his cheek. 

“Audio book or did you want me to read?” He tilted his head. 

“Don’t mind.” She thought about it for a few seconds. “Would you mind?”

“Of course not, Bella Donna. It will cost you though.” He grinned mischievously.

“Oh yeah?” She asked with a laugh. 

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “A second date.”

Donna laughed and pushed him away. “Oh go on then, Martian.”

And with that they headed back to the Tardis, creeping past the unconscious Thespian in the foyer to the castle and back through the luscious fields in the castles’s ground until they made it back to the little farm where they’d parked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And let the curtain fall. 
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to DeathShipper (deathly-shipper on tumblr) for being super supportive right from the start of this fic and for putting up for all my TenDonna rants on tumblr. Also to the whole TenDonna community for being like... amazing (especially our little group chat it's the best and you should all join if you can!) 
> 
> But I hope you liked this one. I have to say this was probably one of my favourite chapters to write so far so I really really hope you've enjoyed it as much as I did. Let me know what you think :) 
> 
> Until next time... Don't Blink!!
> 
> \- Yaz (AvengersBarnes)


	13. Blink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings in this chapter!! 
> 
> It's set in 1969... in case you hadn't guessed by the title. There is some exploration of sexual harassment and dub con (in background characters). Please do not read this chapter if that is triggering for you. It's not explicit (otherwise I would have changed the rating) but it's very much implied. You will not miss too much of the stories main arc by not reading this chapter (I will summarise the main points at the bottom!). 
> 
> But if you can, then I hope you will read and enjoy!

Donna groaned as she pulled herself off the floor. It felt like every cell in her body was on fire and she had a splitting headache. She looked at her hands as she sat back onto her ankles. Grit was embedded in her palms from where she’d been dropped unceremoniously onto the tarmac. She took a deep breath as she took in her surroundings. They weren’t in the old house anymore. That was probably a blessing. It was creepy anyway and she hadn’t wanted to go in but the Doctor was a sucker for old things and they hadn’t visited any museums recently. She’d landed in an empty street, looked like London, but judging by the cars that were parked along the street, they weren’t in 2007 anymore. She winced as she tried to stand up, her head spinning and a stomach tumbling, making her feel nauseous. 

Something was missing.

No.

Not something. Someone. 

Where was the Doctor?

Oh that stupid, dumb Martian. She was going to kill him. It was probably some big joke that he was playing. She’d been spooked in the old house and he’d known it. He’d probably zapped her with some vortex manipulator and sent her back to the 1960s. Any minute now she’d hear the sound of the Tardis whirring and he would poke his head out, with his stupid floppy hair and stupid smug face and laugh at her. 

Any minute now. 

Oh she was going to make his life hell for this. Boyfriend rights officially withdrawn until he’d properly apologised. What was she supposed to do in the 1960s? Maybe she could find a Beatle or two in the meantime. 

She didn’t get to finish that thought as she was knocked off her feet by a lump of brown suited alien. She landed painfully back on the tarmac, barely avoiding smashing her head back against the ground. The Doctor was heavier than he looked, especially as a dead weight. Normally he would at least try to support his own weight. 

He groaned and buried his face in her chest as he came to. Donna sighed impatiently as she weaved her hands through his soft brown hair. 

_Morning. _She said sarcastically as she felt his consciousness stir against hers. 

_What? _He grumbled. “What?” He repeated aloud as he look up at her with soft doe eyes. 

_Where’s the Tardis? _ She asked. She hadn’t been expecting the Doctor to follow her like this. He hadn’t been prepared for the sudden time travel either judging by his reaction which meant they were in trouble and very likely to be stranded in the 60s. Donna didn’t want to panic him but she would rather not be stuck. She did want the option of going home to her family for visits, even if she very rarely chose to go. What about her friends? None of them would even be born yet. 

“Well… She’s sort of… not here?” The Doctor stammered. “Well, not my Tardis at any rate. Well, when I say mine. She’s still mine but not me and I can’t take her. Too many paradoxes, I don’t remember it so it never happened.”

Donna glared at him. “How are we supposed to get home?! You promised me Time and Space, Doctor. Not a lifetime in the 1960s or wherever we’ve landed. We don’t even have internet!”

The Doctor shot to his feet and looked around. “Ooh. This is not good. This is really not good.” 

“What’s not good?” Donna snapped as he took her hand and helped to pull her to her feet.

“The statues, in the garden.” He pondered aloud. Donna remembered the statues. They were stone angels that had been crying. It was all very depressing and a bit too creepy for her liking. “I thought they were a myth. I’m sorry, Donna, I’m so sorry. I’ve been stupid. God I’m getting too old for this.”

“What’s a myth?” Donna pressed. God he was frustrating when he did this. He only ever told them half the story. It was like he forgot that his human companions didn’t have all the knowledge of a Time Lord. 

“The statues.” He repeated. “The angels. The Weeping Angels. The lonely assassins, they used to be called. No one quite knows where they came from, but they're as old as the universe, or very nearly, and they have survived this long because they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved. They are quantum-locked. They don't exist when they're being observed.”

He ran his hands through his hair and looked around them. 

“How can they not exist?” Donna raised an eyebrow. “We saw them. They’re statues. Stone.”

“Only when you’re looking at them. The moment they are seen by any other living creature, they freeze into rock. No choice. It's a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn to stone.” The Doctor rubbed his face and sighed. “I’m sorry. I thought it was just a ghost story. I should have recognised them.

“That still doesn’t explain how we ended up here without the Tardis.” Donna crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow at him. 

“Wait!” He spun round in a flurry of trench coat. “Stranded in 1969!” His hand dove into his pockets and he pulled out what looked like a manuscript to a TV show or something. “A lovely young lady gave me this when I was with Martha. Sally Sparrow. Isn’t that a great name? Sally Sparrow. Sounds like a superhero name, or a detective, DI Sally Sparrow. NYPD.” He said in a slightly off American accent. 

Donna hit him in the arm and raised an eyebrow at him. “Focus Spaceman!” She snapped. 

He nodded with a slightly startled expression on his face. “Right, yes. Sorry.”

“What’s that?” She pointed to the pack to get him back on track. “And How did we get here?” She reiterated her first question.

“They feed off energy, the Weeping Angels, specifically the potential energy of other living beings. The energy that is released when you die, but they don’t kill you. Not according to the stories, they send you back in time and then live off all the energy you leave behind. A whole timeline vanishes like that!” He snapped his fingers. “You die in the past and hello three course meal for the Angels.” 

Donna gaped at him and he squeezed her hand in an attempt to comfort her. That was mad, mental and somehow the norm for them, but she couldn’t die here. Her family would never know what happened to her. She would just vanish off the face of the Earth. Unless she could somehow send a letter to her mum? Could she do that? Like a time capsule that could only be opened after she started travelling with the Doctor. 

She was never going to see her family again, unless she somehow managed to track down her gramps. Maybe they could even be friends. She could see her nan again! 

_We can’t do that Donna. _She heard him whisper sadly.

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him with a scowl.

“You were projecting. Sorry.” He furrowed his brow. “but this!” He waved the folder. “This is going to help us get back! I just know. Why else would she have given it to me? Old Sally Sparrow. She’s already been through this, well… not yet but she will. Obviously not yet. I doubt she’s even been born.” 

“Doctor!” Donna snapped. 

“Come on! First things first we need a place to stay. I’m sorry Donna but for now we have to take the slow path.” He scowled darkly.

“Well isn’t this wizard!” Donna muttered. It was like the Family of Blood all over again.

* * *

For the first time in her life, Donna Noble had a mortgage. Of all the things she thought she’d have to do to survive in her travels with the Doctor, getting a mortgage was not one of them. It wasn’t even stuck on some cool alien planet with three suns and a kooky robot space dog. They had managed to work out they had in fact landed in 1969, just like the Doctor had suggested. To her dismay they weren’t even in time to watch the Beatles perform on the top of Abbey Road studios. She would have loved to watch that! She loved the Beatles. Her favourite had always been Ringo. He seemed like a right laugh to be around. She’d asked the Doctor if they could sneak into the studios and have a gander at the boys but he’d rolled his eyes at her and told her they had more important things to worry about. 

She knew he was just secretly jealous that she loved the boys from Liverpool so much, but she let it go after making him promise that they could visit the Cavern Club after the got the Tardis back. Apparently the younger greaser Beatles posed less of a threat to their relationship in his mind. Donna sighed at that. He really was daft. Like anyone could compare to him. He really was the love of her life, but more than that, he was her best friend. 

Donna pulled her hair into a tight pony tail and then brushed down her skirt as she looked over her reflection. She peered back into her own eyes and sighed. It wasn’t bad. She could hear the Doctor hammering at something down in the kitchen, it was making some kind of ‘timey wimey’ device that would go bing or something when Billy arrived. Something about sensing spikes of temporal energy. They had no idea how long that would be though, only that it would be sometime in the next nine months because Billy arrived in 1969 just like they did. 

In the meantime they had to get a tiny little flat and Donna had to get a full-time job to support them whilst the Doctor planted all the seeds of their escape plan. He did agree to work a few hours a week as an emergency doctor down at the local doctor’s surgery but only when they were short staffed so he could justify asking to be called the Doctor but he had to be careful. He didn’t want to accidentally invent some medical miracle a few centuries early. Martha had found that one out the hard way when he’d been testing her on her exam materials. He’d hadn’t always agreed with her answers even though they’d been perfectly correct according to the text book. He also helped out with the local cinema in the projection booth, slowly building the contacts he would need to give to Billy when he arrived so they could get the easter eggs onto the right DVDs. It wouldn’t be easy but it kept him busy and stopped him pulling apart their kitchen appliances too often.

Their house was a small one bedroom place with a tiny kitchen and cosy living room. The Doctor had already made some adjustments to their small television box to improve the picture quality. His experiments on the toaster had not been as successful. Donna refused to clear up after him and the Doctor was slowly realising how much work the Tardis did for him. He’d even started doing the washing up now without Donna asking him too, and his clothes actually made it into the washing machine. Donna’s favourite thing was that he’d had to buy new clothes. He’d only had the one suit when they’d arrived and it needed dry-cleaning which was not something that could be done over night. Unfortunately for Donna, the 1960s was not short on pinstriped suits and he’d managed to find a whole set of brown, grey and blue versions of his usual outfit. He’d even bought a whole collection of ties. They’d bought the house and the basics, which included new suits apparently, from money they had borrowed from an ATM they’d found in north London, but they weren’t a common sight in 1969 so the Doctor didn’t want to risk using the sonic anymore than he had to incase it messed with the timeline and ATMs became a failed experiment in the past. 

So Donna was getting ready for work. She’d found a job, with help of some excellent references from the psychic paper, at a marketing firm as a secretary. Some personal assistant to her new boss. She’d met him at her interview. She had not been impressed but she’d smiled sweetly and reined in her anger as he asked her all sorts of inappropriate and sleazy questions. She’d not mentioned it to the Doctor, she thought it was probably best to leave him out of the sexual harassment culture of the 1960s. She still needed a job and it wouldn’t do to have her ‘husband’ flying into the office in a jealous rage. In fact, as far as her boss was aware, Donna was perfectly single. 

She knew that it didn’t matter how quick she was on a typewriter, not as fast as a computer but she’d learn quickly. It didn’t matter how well she made coffee and tea. It didn’t matter how good she was at selling whatever crap it was they wanted her to sell. What mattered was that she was attractive and available.

It made her skin crawl.

She pursed her lips as she put on the finishing touches to her makeup, a vibrant red lipstick that should have clashed horribly with her hair but somehow she always managed to make it work. 

“Spaceman!” She called out to her Time Lord. 

“In here Earth Girl!” He yelled back from the kitchen. She cautiously made her way down the stairs in her killer heels and then strode into the kitchen. He had an actual screwdriver in his hand as he made some adjustments to some hashed together device that probably made a boop or a ding when something happened. 

“How do I look?” She asked as she leaned dramatically on the doorframe. 

He looked up thoughtfully, he gaze softening when he saw her. “Lovely. You look lovely.” He grinned and put the gadget down on the table. He crossed the room in one long stride and took her face in his hands, pulling her up into a tender kiss. 

_Beautiful. _The word echoed around her head and she felt a wave of love wash over her. 

_Not too bad yourself, Spaceman. _She teased. _A bit skinny for my liking but not bad._

“Oi!” He said with a laugh. 

“You’re very handsome.” She ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek. 

He beamed like a cheshire cat at that. “Ah why thank you. Good Luck today, Donna. Not that you need it. You’ll be brilliant. You always are.”

“Thanks, Spaceman.” She grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

_I love you. Don’t do anything stupid. See you later! _She sang happily at him. Then she picked up her purse and glided out of the room. 

It was time to go to work.

* * *

Donna’s wrists hurt and there was not enough coffee in the office to make up for the dull monotony of her task. She was typing up report after report after report for her boss, Mr Dean. He was an arrogant toad who’s only goal in life was to make money and sleep with pretty young girls. She was pretty sure she’d already gotten on his bad side when she’d called him out for perving over a slim blonde girl who was probably young enough to be his daughter. She reminded her of the picture she’d seen of Rose back in the library and Donna had felt strangely protective of her. The girl, Carol, had smiled thankfully at her and slipped away to leave Donna facing Mr Dean’s wrath. Luckily it was almost lunchtime and she would soon be able to escape herself.

“Now, Miss Noble, Can I call you Donna?” He almost purred, sending a disgusted shiver down her spine. 

“Knock yourself out.” She muttered back and crossed her arms in front of her. She was glad she’d chosen a shirt that buttoned all the way up to the top but even then it wasn’t exactly made for someone with larger boobs.

Just because she knew she was there to be objectified by her boss, didn’t mean she had to make it easy for him. 

“Donna, be a sweetheart and shut the door darling.” Her boss smiled sweetly at her.

“I’d rather keep it open thanks.” Donna replied firmly not making any attempt to move. 

Mr Dean stood up and circled around her as he pushed the door shut, trapping her in the centre of the room. Donna raised her chin and stood a little taller. She couldn’t afford to lose her job, she knew that but she was not about to let him walk all over her. He could look, she’d been prepared for that, but if he made one wrong move then she was going to knock him into the 19th Century. 

“Donna, Donna, Donna.” He tutted. “Look, love. You’re new here, so I’m going to give you another chance. You’ve got fire. I like that, but best save that passion for the bedroom sweetheart. Carol knows what she’s doing coming in here all dolled up like that. She was practically begging for it. She’s looking for a promotion and who am I to deny her the privilege” 

Donna managed not to slap him as she clenched her fists tightly by her side. “Sorry, sir.” She hissed, seething and regretting every life choice she’d made that her led her to be in this room and this moment. “I guess I read the situation a little differently. Must have been mistaken.”

“We all make mistakes. I am sure you can make it up to me, just keep up the hard work, doll. Perhaps you would join me for dinner this evening.” It wasn’t a question but a statement.

Donna narrowed her eyes at the man before plastering a fake smile on her face. “Oh I would love to but I have other commitments.” She replied.

“They can’t be that important, a drink at least. Come on, Donna. Call it a welcome drink.” He insisted. 

“No.” Donna replied firmly. “I have plans.”

Plans with her partner. Plans to get back home to the Tardis. Plans to get as far away from 1969 as physically possible.

There was a knock at the door and the both spun round to see who the newcomer was. Mr Dean glared furiously as he spotted the tall skinny brunet then had poked his head round the door. 

“Hello!” He called happily with a wave. “You must be Donna’s boss. I’m the Doctor. Nice to meet you!” He sprung into the room and took Mr Dean’s hand enthusiastically and shook it. 

“Excuse me!” Mr Dean roared. “What on Earth are you doing in my office?” 

“Oh me? Little old me. I just asked at reception for where Donna worked. You have very helpful staff. Excellent really. They all deserve a big old pay rise if you ask me. Only you see, Donna was late meeting me for lunch and I got concerned so I thought I would pop up and introduce myself.” The Doctor beamed at Mr Dean and gave Donna a cheeky wink. God she could kiss him right about now, of course that would completely blown her I’m single please hire me cover story although with her references Mr Dean would have a hard time firing her, and she had a feeling the Doctor was about to blow her cover regardless. 

The Doctor brushed his hand against hers in the small office space as he kept Mr Dean distracted by his boundless energy. 

_Are you alright? _He asked. “Oooh look at this!” He pointed to a little Newton’s cradle on Mr Dean’s desk and whipped out his glasses to get a closer look. He poked the balls so they started clacking rhythmically in the quiet office. “That’s brilliant!”

_Yeah. Why? _Donna asked. They hadn’t had lunch plans at all so she was a little bemused to see him, relieved yes but certainly confused. 

“Doctor…” Mr Dean hesitated.

“Noble. Doctor Noble. Donna’s husband.” He grinned a wide toothy grin at Mr Dean and squeezed Donna’s hand tighter. S_omething didn’t feel right. I thought you might be in trouble. _He explained to her.

Well that was new. She knew she could vaguely sense his mind if he was close by but she’d been the other side of town, perhaps it was stronger for him. It was a Time Lord trick after all. 

_No trick. You’re practically a beacon of anger. I could have spotted it from Mars. _He chuckled in her mind. 

Donna raised an eyebrow at him. _I thought you weren’t from Mars? _She teased. 

“Doctor Noble. I really must insist you leave immediately. I was having a private work conversation with my employee.” Mr Dean stammered indignantly. Donna wondered how the Doctor was able to keep up with both conversations flawlessly. She was struggling to pay much attention to the red faced man she currently called her boss over the much happier conversation in her mind.

“Is that so?” The Doctor asked, Donna sensed a smidge of the Oncoming Storm leak into his voice. “Is that right, love?”

“He was asking me out for welcome drinks I believe.” Donna replied innocently. 

A dark look came over the Doctor’s face as he turned back to face Mr Dean. It was only there for a split second before he smiled brightly at her boss. Donna frowned as she tried to work out what the Doctor’s gameplay was. “Welcome drinks! How lovely! We just moved to the area just two weeks ago, we haven’t made many friends yet. This is a fantastic way to get to know everyone. Shall I go round everyone up and we can all pop to the pub for lunch or are we going out after you lot all finish this evening?” The Doctor asked with a feigned naivety. “Because you couldn’t possible have meant that you were asking my Donna out on a date? Not when she’s wearing her wedding ring,” 

Donna smirked and waved her left hand up in front of her face to emphasise his point. Since they’d started dating for real she’d been wearing the old bio-damp on a chain, like she had for their evening out with the girls. It hadn’t felt right to wear it on her ring finger anymore, it was all well and good as friends but it felt like she was expecting something too much too soon once they stared dating. She’d only put it back on properly once the Doctor pointed out that a guy and a girl living together in the sixties would look a bit odd unless they were married or siblings so the Doctor had once again become her husband. At least this time he was still him and there were no confusing feelings about their relationship. They both knew where they stood on that one. 

“A misunderstanding I assure you, Doctor Noble.” Mr Dean hissed. His face had now gone beyond red to a strange mottled purple colour. Donna thought that didn’t look very healthy at all. The man probably had all sorts of heart related problems. He should probably go see a Doctor, a real one, not hers. “Enjoy your lunch break Mrs Noble. Be back in an hour, sharp. It won’t be good to be late on your first day.”

* * *

The Doctor was perturbed by the situation they’d found themselves in. On one hand it was quite nice to not have to worry about saving the world from alien threats, his earlier regenerations would probably have that covered if anything turned up. He couldn’t exactly remember if such events occurred in 1969 but he was sure he would have dealt with it. At the very least his future regenerations could handle it if he could remember to come back. He was sure it would sort itself out either way.

On the other hand he was bored.

Very bored.

This was why he never landed on Sundays. He didn’t really enjoy the bits in between the adventures, especially when he had no way of escaping. It was all very claustrophobic for a Time Lord who was used to all of time and space. He couldn’t even tinker too much with the technology in their tiny little house just in case he accidentally invented something a few centuries too early.

He missed the Tardis. He missed her ever comforting presence in the back of his mind. They were psychically linked but the connection had been all but severed when he’d been caught by the Weeping Angel. She was just a faint tingle in his parietal lobe now. His mind hadn’t felt so empty in his life. The only saving grace was Donna. It wasn’t as powerful as having a fellow Time Lord nearby but with the psychic link he’d created between them he could at least sense her even from a distance. He wondered why he’d never thought to do that before with his other friends. It would have been a great benefit when coming up against formidable foes.

Then again they did like to forget he wasn’t human.

Especially in this regeneration. He was just an attractive young man with a magic box. Even Martha seemed to fall for the act at times but never Donna. Donna might joke that he was from Mars or call him Spaceman but it was nice to be acknowledged for what he really was. He adored humans, he really did but it did get rather tiresome when people assumed he was one. That was probably the legendary Time Lord superiority complex seeping through. At least he wasn’t as bad as the high council. 

No one was as bad as the high council.

Except perhaps his first wife…

He wrinkled his nose and frowned as he turned his attention back to the homemade device in his hands. It was supposed to sense spikes in temporal energy. Billy Shipton could arrive at any moment and they needed to be there to greet him. He was absolutely vital to getting the Tardis away from the Angels. He was their link to Sally in the future. The Doctor ran his hand through his hair and hissed a breath. This was not going to be easy. The worst thing is there was nothing they could do except wait. All the action was taking place back in 2007 but at least he could record his half of the conversation. He’d bought a second hand camera from the shop down the road from the cinema and he’d learnt his half of the conversation, well, he’d learned most of it. It still needed to seem spontaneous. He still needed to swindle an auto cue device from somewhere. He was hoping he could pull some favours from the BBC but he needed to get into their good books first. Maybe he could provide them with a better alternative to their tape situation. If he played his cards right he could stop them from taping over old shows. It was always a shame that so many great television episodes got lost to time. Then again he could travel in time so that wasn’t so much of a problem for him, a shame for the normal humans that were stuck on the linear slow route though.

Was time always this complicated?

This was why he tried to meet people in order as much as possible. He hated doing it out of order. It was always hell to try and catch up and work out what point they were both at. At least with Reinette it had been in order. It hadn’t been relative but it had been in order. He sighed. He regretted that he hadn’t made it back to her in time. She had seemed so fascinated by the stars. She’d been confident in herself, like Rose had been, but it had all happened so fast. It was almost like he’d known her her entire life, yet it had only been a few hours. Well, that was exactly what it had been like. It had felt like he’d been falling in love with her, but it had been such a whirlwind that he had probably just been swept along by the young girls feelings.

He knew love now.

He knew it more than he had ever known before. 

He dropped his head onto the table and groaned. His chair almost fell back from underneath him and he had to make a frantic grab at the table to keep himself from landing on his arse. Just his luck.

Hopefully Donna would be back soon. She’d not been enjoying work and he couldn’t blame her. There weren’t many humans that he hated. Most were redeemable in one way or another, most were worth saving. 

Mr Dean was not one of them. 

The Doctor did not like Mr Dean.

And it wasn’t because the man kept flirting with his wife.

Well…

Maybe not completely but the man was a complete bastard. He prayed on young girls at the work place. He hired the ones that were most vulnerable, one’s who had difficult childhood’s or absent fathers. He hired the ones he wanted to get into bed and the ones he knew would not have a choice. 

He’d made a mistake with Donna. He’d underestimated her. Luckily for both Donna and the Doctor, her references and natural talent at the job meant that Mr Dean was having a hard time firing her, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make her life hell. Donna was always seething by the time she got back from her job. Sometimes she blamed him for getting them stuck but lucky for him he’d gotten pretty good at navigating her at her worst. He knew the best ways to allow her to let off steam. Other times she just wanted to curl up in his arms and watch the television. She almost seemed defeated on those days. He knew it was because she felt like she’d failed at protecting one of the younger girls from the predator that was her boss. 

He almost preferred the anger.

He looked up as he heard the front door click. Donna was home and she was late. He glanced up at the clock to confirm it. She was normally home half an hour ago, which was not a good sign. 

“Spaceman?” She called wearily from the front door. 

“Kitchen!” He called back watching the door intently for the flurry of red hair. He couldn’t help but smile when she appeared in the door way but the smile was short lived when he saw her face. Her eyes were red and blotchy and there were tear stains down her cheeks. He leapt to his feet, kicking the chair out behind him, and pulled her into his arms and resting his chin on her head. 

_What happened? _He asked. 

_Carol. _She thought back and he saw flashes of her memories. 

He was seeing the office through Donna’s eyes. He could feel the dull boredom she felt as she tapped away on the typewriter in front of her. He briefly wondered how much of her boredom was a shadow of his own feelings. Donna felt proud at how proficient she had become on the old typewriter and the Doctor couldn’t help but mentally smile. It was rare that Donna really saw her own worth. She never noticed how special she was. She never believed him. Carol, a sweet pretty looking blonde that he had seen a few times around the office, ran out suddenly with her hand covering her mouth. She looked like she was about to be sick. 

_Morning sickness _Present Donna explained. 

_She’s pregnant? _He asked as he pulled his mind out of the memory. 

Donna nodded and nuzzled into his chest. She was hurting. He could feel her guilt like it was his own. 

“I take it it’s not planned?” He murmured as he kissed her hair. 

“No, it’s bloody not.” Donna hissed. “Her parents will throw her out when she starts showing properly. She’s never even had a boyfriend.”

“Mr Dean.” The Doctor realised with a surge of anger. Perhaps they had been brought to 1969 for a reason. The Doctor had thought there wouldn’t be any monsters to fight whilst they were stuck here without his Tardis. 

Apparently he’d been wrong. He’d managed to save Donna from Mr Dean’s lecherous advances but he hadn’t even considered the other girls. He knew Donna looked after them to the best of her ability but it was hard to be heard as a woman in this era. Donna had not let him forget that. He remembered his first human companions, teachers from Cole Hill School. Both him and Ian had treated Barbara and his granddaughter, Susan, with very little respect at times, pushing them to the back because they believed the girls were incapable of looking after themselves. He almost had to laugh at that. He’d been so naive and both women had shown him he’d been wrong time after time. Of course after a few centuries spent around human females he knew better. It’s a shame that men of the 1969 had yet to catch on.

He had to fix this. He had to make it right. 

_I know, Spaceman _ Donna whispered and she reached up to stroke his cheek.

He looked down at her in awe, blinded by her compassion and beauty and love. Her eyes were shining like the universe itself was born within them and she had a warm smile on her face that would stay him for the rest of his existence. How was he so lucky to have this woman by his side? His best friend. His Donna. 

His hearts were singing with the love he had for her. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. 

“Stop looking at me like that. “ Donna mumbled as she blushed a beautiful crimson red and stepped out of his embrace. 

He blinked. “Like what?”

“Like I hung the bloody moon.” She snapped, embarrassed by his obvious affection. 

“Don’t be so ridiculous, Donna.” He teased. “No one hung the moon. It was just a lump of rock that was pulled in by the Earth’s gravity field. You should know that. We saw the start of it all remember?”

Donna mock glared at him. “It’s an expression, Time Boy. I thought you were the smart one.”

“I am the smart one!” He agreed with a grin. 

“Could have fooled me.” She batted him in the chest lightly and he caught her hands in his, bringing them to his lips. 

He pulled her into their small living room and onto the sofa. She sighed contently as he pulled her hair gently from its tie and began to run his hands through the long flaming locks. Her hair was soft and shining, like her heart. He’d brush her hair properly once they were back in their bedroom but for now he was content to pull apart the knots with his fingers and gently massage her scalp. He paused briefly to point his sonic at the television and the small box burst into life. Neither of them paid much attention to the news stories that were buzzing on in the background. It was just noise. The house seemed far too quiet without it. They were used to the Tardis after all. 

As he brush her hair with his fingers they worked out a plan to take down Mr Dean. It would be unrealistic to think they could take down all the sleazy bosses of the time but they could make a start and maybe spark some anti-sexual harassment laws a few decades early. That wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. Donna knew, much to her dissatisfaction, that there wasn’t much she could do on her own. She could shout and yell and point fingers all she liked but the big bosses in the company wouldn’t pay much attention to her. She was still a woman in a man’s world and she was just a secretary, a PA. 

Lucky for her she was married to a doctor, an attractive white male one at that. Travelling with Martha over the last few months had taught him a lot about his own privilege. It wasn’t something he’d really had to encounter before. Most of the planets they visited had a patriarchal structure and he’d never really realised and humans, especially on Earth, had always treated him with respect. He’d thought it was about the way he carried himself. He just strode into a room and owned it. He was clever and people listened to him. He was starting to realise that it probably wouldn’t have been so easy for him to do that if he’d regenerated into a woman or a person of colour. 

Humans.

They were so small minded at times. 

Their rigid concept of gender and sexuality and race really baffled him at times. Did they not know that love was one of the strongest forces in the universe? Why would you try to restrict that?

Their plan was a relatively simple one, file a complaint of sexual harassment against Mr Dean. It would send shock waves in 2007 but they’d have to be more cautious in 1969. It was possible that no matter what the Doctor said about Mr Dean it would be laughed off, and he was desperate to leave Carol and her… situation out of it. It wouldn’t be fair to the young girl to have her problems dragged through the mud. No, they had to keep this between him, Donna and Mr Dean. If worst came to worst they could ask Carol if she minded stepping up but the girl had enough on her plate. Once they had the Tardis back the Doctor would make sure she had all the help she could get. Even if that meant terminating the life that was growing within her, right now the young girl wasn’t in the right place to be a mother. It would certainly be harder for both her and the child if she continued with the pregnancy so the Doctor would give her the choice. She deserved that much, and the doctors in this era would not be so forgiving. 

The television continued to chatter on in the background as Donna buried her face in his chest. They were lying together on the sofa, he had his legs dangling over one end and Donna was curled up next to him like a cat. The sofa really wasn’t big enough for them both to lie like this but they made it work and the Doctor loved holding her so close to him, and he knew she found the sound of his hearts comforting. She exhaled softly as he ran his fingers down her spine. 

It was all far too domestic. The mortgage, the house, the Saturday job at the cinema. He missed the adventure and the saving civilisations. He was the Doctor to the universe. He liked mending things. He liked making it better, and he really loved playing the hero. This was all so mundane. 

It was all too boring.

But Donna was here, tucked into his arms like an angel and somehow that made everything seem alright. 

He reached down her pressed a kiss to her hair. 

_Hey. _He whispered. She was drifting off to sleep in his arms but he still felt her consciousness stir at his words. 

“Go away.” She mumbled. 

_I can’t do that, love. You’re lying on top of me. _He chuckled and kissed her forehead. 

_Good. You make an excellent pillow. They should sell Time Lords to insomniacs. They’d make a fortune. _Donna quipped. 

“Oi.” He protested. “I’m not just some quaint commodity you know?”

“You keep telling yourself that, Alien Boy.” She reached up and cover his mouth with her hand. “Pillows talk less.”

_I though you liked the pillow talk. _He teased flirtatiously.

Donna grabbed a cushion from the floor and knocked him over the head with it. He tried to shield his face with his hands but he wasn’t fast enough but his wriggles pushed Donna off the edge of the sofa and she landed with a soft thud on the floor. 

“What you doing down there?” He grinned as he looked down at her. 

Her face was flushed and was glaring up at him, but there was a mischievously look in her eyes and the beginnings of a smirk that told him he wasn’t really in trouble. 

“Oh I don’t know.” She muttered sarcastically. “I just thought. ‘You know what. That floor looks really comfortable!’” 

“And is it?” He grinned down at her, realising his mistake too late and her smirk grew into a full blown grin. 

She reach up and kissed him hard, their tongues dancing a familiar dance and her mind almost completely melted into his. His hearts raced in his chest and he cupped her face in his hands. 

_Why don’t you find out, Alien Boy? _She sang and pulled him down. He tumbled off the sofa with a startled yelp and landed on top of her. She laughed and she looked up at him with bright wide eyes. Her pupils were dilated and her face was flushed. The smile she gave him was completely blinding. 

He gave up trying to think of a witty response and just kissed her like his life depended on it. 

Perhaps domesticity wasn’t so bad after all. 

* * *

Donna was sitting in the kitchen idly stirring a cup of coffee. It wasn’t nearly as good as the coffee that the Tardis coffee machine could make but it was caffeinated and that was the main thing. She was flicking through one of the Doctor’s notebooks. It was full of sketches of different inventions, aliens from their travels and of his friends throughout the years. Donna blushed when she realised just how many of the drawings were of her own face. He hadn’t really had a chance to draw anything since he’d become a Time Lord again but their forced stay in 1969 had given them both a sort of downtime. Donna’s work life was hard but at least it wasn’t life-threatening and the Doctor was clearly bored out of his mind. Still it was nice to see that he’d taken up his old hobby again, and he was really very talented. The drawings were all annotated in Gallifreyan. Donna traced the funny circles underneath a particularly beautiful picture of herself. 

“Spaceman?” She called. 

“Donna!” He called back and she heard his footsteps from the lounge. A couple of seconds later he swept into the room. His hair was all ruffled up, his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his tie had come loose around his neck. “You called my lady?” He winked. 

She rolled her eyes and stood up to help him fix his tie. “You’re such a tart” She teased. 

“Only for you.” He swore solemnly. 

She blushed despite herself and whacked him gently on the arm. “Stop it.”

He grinned and caught her hand in his, pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist. _Never._

She rolled her eyes again but she sent a wave of love through the link to him which returned twofold. She basked in the glow of his love for a moment before pulling him towards the table and the notebook which was lying open where she’d left it. “What does this mean?” She pointed to the letters underneath her portrait. “I’ve been trying to see if I can work out the letters but without knowing the language or the alphabet it’s difficult.”

She felt his surprise without even looking at him. “You want to learn Gallifreyan?”

She looked up at him. He was gazing down at her with an expression of pure wonder. “I just thought,” She hesitated as she tried to find the right words. “I just don’t want you to be alone anymore.”

His gaze softened at her words and he squeezed her hand tightly. “I don’t deserve you Donna Noble.”

She laughed. “No. You don’t. Doctor Noble.” She teased. 

“My Bella Donna.” He whispered reverently, then he pointed at the circular writing in the notebook. “I mean. That’s what it says. You see these letters here.” He pointed to one of the inner circles. “The five symbols in this circle here represent your name.”

She looked intently to where he was pointing. Now she really looked at the circle she could see that two of the letters were the same. “That’s an ’n’” She pointed at the word. 

“Oh yes.” He grinned. “Well, the Gallifreyan equivalent.”

She looked at the words again. One of the letters in the last circle matched a couple of the letters in the middle word. “And that’s an ‘a’” She grinned. 

“Close enough.” He beamed. “Oh you are brilliant Donna.” 

He wrote out the words in Gallifreyan using the Roman alphabet and Donna was finally able to start linking the letters between the two alphabets. “So what are all these extra lines?”

He laughed and scratched the back of his neck. “Well mostly its decorative. If I were writing notes and lists around the Tardis then it would be more basic but this is art so…”

“So like calligraphy?” Donna guessed.

“Exactly.”

“So how do I say ‘My name is Donna?’” She asked. 

He rolled his eyes and the alien language rolled off his tongue. She blinked and stared at him. He noticed her confusion so he wrote the words down in both the Roman and Circular Gallifreyan alphabet and then sounded out the letters. Donna tried to repeat them but the strange language felt weird in her mouth. She frowned as he laughed at her. 

“Oi watch it!” She snapped. “I’m doing my best.”

He put a hand on her cheek. _You’re doing brilliantly, Donna. _“It’s just been so long since I’ve heard another person speak Gallifreyan. Thank you. Really. I didn’t know how much I needed to hear it again.”

She felt her heart clench in pity for her Time Lord. It was so easy to forget how alone he was in the world. He surrounded himself with friends and danced through life without a care but it was all a mask, hiding the pain and devastating loneliness that he truly felt. Donna knew this but even she was swept along by his facade some of time. “How do I say ‘I love you’?” She asked with a tilt of his head. 

His answering smile melted her heart and he quickly wrote down the words in both alphabets and then whispered them in her ear. 

Her breath caught in her throat as his love for her almost overwhelmed her. She let out a deep breath and then repeated back the words as well as she could. It wasn’t perfect but it didn’t need to be. No sooner had she said the words than Doctor’s lips were on hers. 

He repeated the words over and over in her mind like a prayer and it was only when they broke for air that she realised he was crying. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed his forehead. 

“Oh Spaceman, come here.” She pulled him into a warm embrace and he wrapped his arms around her waist, clinging on as he if he needed her to survive. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He sobbed against her chest and she stroked his hair to try and soothe him. 

“It’s alright. I’ve got you. I’m here.” She kissed his hair. “I’m here.”

* * *

Donna’s heels clicked along the brightly lit corridor. She was a woman on a mission and that mission was to take down her boss. Ever since she’d been working there, about ten weeks now, he’d been putting her down and making her feel worthless. Nothing she ever did was up to standard despite it being a damn sight better than any of the work his last secretary had been doing. She knew that because she’d been the one to pick up the pieces from the mess the other girl had left behind. If it wasn’t about her work, it was about her clothes, her hair, her makeup. If she wore a jacket over her shirt she got accused of being a prude. If she wore just a nice blouse then she was being a tease and she could feel her Mr Dean’s dark grey eyes staring at her chest as she typed away on the old type writer. She tied her hair up most days. The lecherous man just loved to call her all sorts of insults when it came to her hair, carrot being the most common and least imaginative. If she wore it down then he had habit of touching it whenever he walk past her desk. 

Only the Doctor was allowed to touch her hair. 

She’d not told him about that little tit-bit. He adored her hair and she had a feeling it might make him feel a little stormy if he found out that Mr Dean was still bothering her. They had a plan and it wouldn’t do for the Doctor to lose his head. 

Mr Dean made Donna work harder than any of the other girls in the office and he frequently called her into his office but Donna had learned not to go any further than the doorway. She didn’t want to be trapped with him and she was always tightly coiled like a spring, one wrong move and the man would find himself with a broken nose and she’d hit him where the sun don’t shine. She almost wanted him to try so she could release her anger. Still it was better than the alternative. He flirted badly and unrelentingly with the younger more naive girls. He made them think their only worth was their bodies and sex appeal. Donna make sure she praised them on their work and brains and personalities as much as she could and if Mr Dean was getting too close then she would step in and pull the girls away. 

She’d been too late for Carol. 

Chances were that she’d already been pregnant when Donna had arrived and the signs were only just starting to show. She couldn’t blame herself for that really but whenever she caught the young girl crying in the toilets then a wave of nauseous guilt hit her like a tidal wave. Carol was too young to be going through this alone. Donna knew that once they had the Tardis back, the cash they’d managed to save up whilst they’d been stuck would be worthless to them. Donna had every intention of giving it, or least some of it, to Carol along with their little house. It wasn’t much but it would be enough for Carol and her baby, if she decided to keep it. She knew the Doctor was planning on giving her the opportunity to end the pregnancy if she wasn’t too far along by the time they were able to escape. She loved him for that. 

He always gave people a choice.

She was on her way through the other offices towards Mr Johnstone’s office. The Doctor had arranged a meeting with the man, who was apparently the CEO of the company. It was probably some stunt he’d pulled with the psychic paper again, or maybe it was just his face. It was a very likeable face. People from all over the universe just seemed to trust him. It was handy in a tight squeeze but it drove Donna mad. It was like everyone else was determined to boost that ego of his, like it wasn’t already bursting like a hot air balloon. He always got this cocky grin on his face and blustered around the room like a maniac. Just once she’d like to see someone other than her put him in his place, as long as they weren’t about to die of course. She did appreciate his knack of surviving the impossible. 

She glanced at the sign on the side of the corridor. She was in the right department at least. The Doctor was supposed to me meeting her here. A brief look at her watch told her he still had a couple of minutes to get there. She hoped for once in his life he’d be on time. It had been a long day at work and Mr Dean had already kept her later than she would have liked. Luckily the only slot the Doctor could get at such short notice was right at the end of the day. It was almost six in the evening. It would be dark in a couple of hours. She’d forgotten how incredibly mundane it was to work a nine til five job. The same routine day in and day out all week long. The sun rising when it should and setting at the end of every day. Time passing in the right order at the right time…

She sighed as she inspected one of the picture frames on the wall. It was one of those motivational posters that were designed to improve employee wellbeing. She rolled her eyes. She had found they didn’t make the slightest difference. In her experience it was all about the managements’ attitude towards their staff that affected how people felt in the workplace. You got a good boss and the job became easy as breathing. You got one like Mr Dean then every single second that passed felt like eternity and it burned through your soul. That was what they were here to rectify. 

She turned as she heard footsteps clattering through the halls. The Doctor came flying around the corner, his long coat flapping out behind him. His hair was a mess and his new greyish blue suit was all ruffled. He grinned brightly when he saw her and ground to a halt. 

“Sorry I’m late!” He called “There was a thing.” He waved his hands as he tried to explain. 

“A thing?” She raised her eyebrow at him and smirked. 

“Oh yes!” He winked in an attempt to distract her but Donna wasn’t so easily fooled. She knew him better than that. He was hiding something.

She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head. “Out with it, Spaceman.”

He ran his hand through his hair and then rubbed his cheek. “Well…”

“Doctor.” Donna warned. “What have you done?”

“Oh it’s nothing. Well, I say nothing, it’s nothing important. Well, maybe a bit important. Well…” He trailed off. 

Donna put her hands on his chest covering both his hearts. They were pounding in his chest. She sighed and reached up to cup his cheek. 

_Doctor? _She asked. _Tell me._

“It went ding.” He admitted and he pulled out the mash of electronic devices that he’d created. A tiny little light was flashing. 

“What?!” Donna felt her eyes go wide. If that thing had gone ding that meant that Billy Shipton was on his way if he wasn’t already here. “And you didn’t go straight there!”

“You needed me here.” He took her hand and smiled down at her. 

Donna laughed in disbelief. “We both need you there, Spaceman.” 

_I can handle this. Go._

To her surprise the Doctor shook his head. “No. I mean absolutely no offence, Donna.”

“Oh this ought to be good.” She muttered with a shake of her head. 

“But they won’t listen to you. You know that.” He sighed.

Donna glared at him with her fiercest look. “You what?” She snapped. 

“It’s not fair. Rassilon knows it’s not fair but… It has to me.” He insisted.

Donna sighed and turned away from him, pulling her hand back away from him. God she hated the patriarchy. They needed to visit more planets where the women or at the very least not males were in charge. They would never have any of these problems. 

“Fine!” She snapped and spun back round to face him. “Just give me the thingy.”

“What?” 

“You know. The Dingerator.” She put her hand out expectantly.

He quirked an eyebrow and gave her an amused look. “Dingerator?”

“It goes ding! What do you call it?” She shot back with an exasperated look. 

He paused and thought about it. “My Timey-Wimey Detector?” He suggested.

“How is that any better than Dingerator?” Donna laughed. “Just give it here.”

“Give what here?” He grinned mischievously.

Donna glared at him but he just waved the device. She tried to make a grab for it but the stupid alien was too tall and he easily held it out of her reach. He tutted at her and gave her a stupid dumb smirk. 

Donna was very close to giving in and calling it the Timey-Wimey Detector when the door beside them opened to reveal a short balding man in a mud brown suit, Mr Johnstone she presumed. 

They both turned and the Doctor dropped his hands to his side. In a flash Donna grabbed it and placed a kiss on his cheek. 

“I’ll see you later, Sugar Plum.” She purred in his ear and grabbed his hand. 

_Thanks for the Dingerator. _She sang happily. 

_It’s a Timey-Wimey Detector! _He yelled back mentally. She laughed and dashed off down the corridor.

* * *

Donna followed the beeping through the streets of London. It was a faint ding and she had a strong feeling that whatever the device had detected wasn’t quite here yet. That was so typical of the Doctor. Even stuck on the slow path he couldn’t get the timing right. She grumbled a not quite curse under her breath. Even with the Tardis completely cut off from them she couldn’t swear. Was that her life now? She fully intended on travelling with her mad alien forever, would she never be able to curse properly ever again? Good lord Donna Noble from a year ago would never have believed it. Then again, there was a lot that Donna Noble from a year ago wouldn’t have believed. She’d spent roughly a year with the Doctor now, give or take a few weeks. It was hard to keep up with the time vortex and time locks and months stuck on Earth and away from the Tardis. It had been a year since this dazzling wonderful man had walked into her life, well technically she’d crash landed into his but that didn’t make much difference in the long run. That meant a year ago she been getting ready to marry Lance.

God she had been bonkers. A fool in love and desperate for the life her mother wanted for her.

She laughed out loud to herself. Look at her now. She’d had two long term fake husbands in steady jobs, and she’d gotten herself a partner, and as luck would have it they were all the same man. It might not have been exactly what her mum had in mind but between this and being fed to the Racnoss, she much preferred her choice this time around. He was daft and stupid and reckless but he loved her more than anyone had ever loved her in her life, and by some miracle she found she loved him back. 

She glanced up at the sky. She’d been walking for hours. Either the device was faulty or she’d been circling towards the centre of the time flux. The sun was starting to set behind the tall buildings and clouds were gathering in front of the stars in the sky. She wondered where the Doctor was and how his meeting with Mr Johnstone had gone. She hoped it had gone alright, like properly alright not Time Lord alright. 

“Come on, Billy…” She muttered. “You could at least be on time. Why is no one in my life ever on time?”

The machine in her hand went static and she flinched as she held the phone receiver away from her ear. It sounded suspiciously like the sonic screwdriver. 

“SPACEMAN!” She yelled, hoping her theory was right otherwise she’d look like a lunatic. 

“Blimey Donna.” A familiar voice said from behind her. “You can shout.” 

She spun round to see the Doctor waving his sonic screwdriver at her happily. “Spaceman!” She cried happily and flung her arms around his neck. He laughed and picked her up in a big hug. 

“Bella Donna.” He murmured into her hair and she smiled brightly. 

When he put her back down on the ground she swatted him lightly over the back of the head. He ran his hand through his hair and frowned. “What was that for?”

“I’ve been walking aimlessly around London for two hours!” She admonished. “What sort of Timey-Wimey Detector is this?”

“You called it Timey-Wimey!” He grinned wondrously.

“Missing the point.” She rolled her eyes. 

“Right. Yes. Sorry. I’m Sorry.” He scratched the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish smile. 

Donna sighed and took his hand. _Together then?_

_Together _He echoed back. _Let’s go get our Tardis back. _

* * *

Billy Shipton was a genuinely lovely man and more than a little bit confident. He oozed self-confidence and sex appeal. If Donna hadn’t been happily taken by her mad alien, she would have been a little smitten by the gorgeous DI. He was, as expected, quite disorientated and honestly justifiably angry at the situation. As far as Donna could tell he’d just managed to score a date with Sally Sparrow before he’d become angel delight and it took a lot of time to explain why he had to take the slow path even once they got the Tardis back. 

The Doctor had gone all frowny and sad as he explained about paradoxes, to which Shipton rightly countered with the fact they were already in a paradox. Donna had to admit he had a point but the Doctor was all arms and flailing limbs as he tried to explain the difference between the paradox they were in vs the paradox that would be created if Shipton came with them. 

“So you see, if you come with us now like this then Sally would never had met you in the hospital and you would never have lived your life here and now. You were married with kids, Billy. They will just cease to exist along with two thirds of the universe.” The Doctor ran his hands through his hair. 

“But Doctor…” Donna started to say. “Time can be rewritten right? You’ve said that before.”

He scratched behind his ear. “Yes. Yes but this is more complicated. One wrong move and we could all be stuck. The Angels could get the Tardis and the universe could be torn apart. We have the script. We know how to win this…” He hissed in frustration and then spun round and pointed at Billy. “And the DVDs! We need the easter egg on the DVDs. That technology won’t exist for decades. It has to be you Billy. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” 

Donna sighed. He did have a point. Of course he did. No one knew time better than her Time Lord. 

“But can’t you just drop me off in the 90s or something.” Shipton suggested. “And then pick me up once I’m done with the DVDs.”

“Ooh that’s a good idea.” Donna nodded. It wasn’t fair that he would be stuck. The seventies wouldn’t be very kind for Billy and he would not have a successful police career that he was used to. Life would be hard for him. 

“No.” The Doctor shook his head. “We’d never get you in the industry enough to smuggle the easter eggs into the distribution of the right DVDs and the films you need won’t be filmed for a few years at least.”

Donna frowned. It almost sounded like the Doctor was making up excuses now. Who was he to play God with this man’s life like this? If Billy wanted to find a way back then surely they could make it work. They had a time machine for christ’s sake! Or at least they would. 

His hand brushed against hers and she resisted the urge to yank her hand away. 

_Donna? _His voice was gentle and she could feel the pain in his soul. He didn’t want this. He wanted to help. He yearned to help but they couldn’t take the chance. They couldn’t risk it not when the Angels had already been ripping holes in time. It was too fragile. Reality could collapse around them if they broke away from the script they had been handed. 

She gasped and pulled her hand away. Those weren’t her thoughts and feelings. She took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. She always got a headache when he did that. His big Time Lord brain burned through hers. He was normally better at keeping the Time Lord stuff in his own head even when their minds were almost completely merged together. The Time Lines were blindingly bright and her vision blurred with bright golden light. 

“Do you see?” The Doctor whispered in her ear, allowing her mind some space. She nodded and wiped away the tears that she hadn’t realised had fallen down her cheek.

“Yeah.” 

Billy looked between the two of them with evident confusion on his face. “I don’t understand. You were on my side!” He accused Donna and she winced at the hurt in his voice. 

Damn it. This was going to be one of those times where they couldn’t save everybody. 

“Now listen here. DI Shipton.” She poked him in his chest. “We’re doing the best we can. Those statues get the Tardis and you can kiss goodbye to the universe. No more Sally Sparrow. No more happily ever after here in the past either. You want a happy ending?”

He nodded dumbly at her sudden change of heart and she caught the Doctor smiling fondly at her in the corner of her eye. 

“Good. We want that too, and I’m not gonna lie. It’s going to suck. You’re not going to see your family again but they are going to live Billy. You do this and everyone lives. You’ll even get to see Sally again having lived a long and happy life.” She saw his eyes soften slightly at the mention of his crush. “According to the notes she gave the Doctor you’ll see her once more.”

“And it’ll be raining.” The Doctor added rather unhelpfully. Donna shot him a glare. “What?” He asked.

Donna laughed at her best friend. For a genius he could be a real idiot. Now was not the time to mention the rain and the night Billy would die. “Is it really the time to be discussing the weather?” She gave him a pointed look but as usual he missed the subtleties of human communication.

“Sally explicitly said it would be raining when they met again. Why would she tell us that if it wasn’t important?” The Doctor shot back and Donna just glared at him. Luckily Billy interrupted them with a question.

“And I’ll be happy?” Billy asked cautiously.

“As far as we know.” The Doctor shrugged. “That’s what you told old Sally Sparrow.”

“I was gonna marry her.” He sighed sadly but Donna could tell they’d won. There was a resignation in his voice that hadn’t been there before. 

She smiled softly and tilted her head. “Oh yeah? You knew that already did you?”

“My ma always told me you’ll just know, and I knew with her. The minute she walked into that police station I just knew.” Billy sighed wistfully. 

“Love is funny like that.” The Doctor mused. Donna’s eyes narrowed and snapped up to meet his. He gave her a cheeky wink but she could see his cheeks had blushed a little. 

“Hmm…” She agreed noncommittally. “So you’ll do it?”

Billy nodded. 

“Come on then, let’s get back to our house. We have a lot to do and it looks like it’s going to start raining any second now.” The Doctor suggested. “Allons-y!”

* * *

They were back in the lounge of their house having just waved goodbye to Billy Shipton for the last time. The Doctor handed over a bunch of their savings to give him a head start and told him to start looking for jobs in publishing. Between Donna’s job in the marketing department and his contacts in the cinema they should be able to give him a good start in his new life. 

The Doctor was catching her up with his meeting with Mr Johnstone. It hadn’t been as successful as they’d hoped. Mr Dean still had a job but he would no longer be running the team. In fact he wouldn’t even be part of marketing at all now. He’d been demoted right down to the shop floor, working in sales. He’d probably still be a sleaze bag but at least he wouldn’t be earning as much money, and to men like him that was what mattered. 

Donna had written a letter for Carol to let her know that they were going to leave all their belongings to her, she even left her telephone number and an extra note explaining the Doctor’s offer of a choice. She need only call if she decided not to keep the child and they would be there to help her. The house they would be leaving only had the bare essentials really but it was a fresh start that the young blonde so desperately needed. 

Now all they had to do was wait. 

Donna sighed. The Doctor was pacing about the living room like a lion trapped in a cage. The longer they spent away from the Tardis the more restless he was becoming especially now. They’d recorded all they needed to record. They’d set up Billy Shipton to deliver the message to Sally Sparrow, even if they’d blown up a few hens in the process. 

They had nothing left to do. 

All the seeds were planted. 

Sally just needed to finish it off thirty eight years in the future. 

The Doctor flopped dramatically down onto the sofa, his head landing in her lap. 

“Does it always take this long?” He whined. 

Donna’s hands instinctively found themselves in the Doctor’s unkempt hair. It always seemed to have a calming effect on him whenever she ran her hands through it, the exact opposite of what happened when he did it himself. 

“God you’re impatient. Worse than a five year old. Are you sure you’re nine hundred and two?” She teased as he hummed happily as she tugged gently at the soft brown locks of hair.

_Rude. _He laughed in his mind. 

_Says you. Rude and not ginger remember? _She teased. 

The Doctor reached up and caught a lock of her hair between his fingers. He looked absolutely fascinated by it, like a child seeing snow for the first time. 

“Some people have all the fun.” He smiled up at her. 

Donna laughed and booped him on the nose. “Says the alien with a time machine.”

“A time machine that’s missing in action.” He reminded her with a pout. 

“Oh grow up. She’ll be here soon. We’ve done everything we need to do.” Donna brushed his ruffled her from out of his eyes and leaned down to give him a kiss. It was messy and imperfect but it still send a thrill straight to her heart. 

The Doctor gave her a dazzling smile. Not the one he gave to the enemies to try and blind and distract them. No it was bright and shining and so full of love. It made her feel all warm inside. She felt his love almost glowing around her like a warm hug or that feeling you get when she take the first sip of cocoa. It was all encompassing and beautiful. 

It was almost too much. 

She couldn’t possible deserve all of that. 

_Donna _He admonished and a frown fell upon his face. _You deserve the universe. _

“Stop it, Spaceman.” She chided and booped his nose again. “I told you I’m nothing special.”

_You are to me. _He insisted. 

Donna sighed and shook her head. “Daft Martian.” She muttered under her breath, knowing he could hear her. 

The Doctor opened his mouth to protest but he was cut off by the sound of the Tardis engines. He leapt to his feet as the Tardis materialised right in front of them. Donna laughed and sat up, her hair whipping around her face. She thought it must be pretty rare for the Doctor to be stuck outside of a materialising Tardis. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes as he fondly stroke the blue wooden door of the Tardis but she understood. She felt the Tardis reach out to her to welcome her back home. 

“Oh hello Old Girl!” He cooed as he patted down the wood and rested his forehead against it. “Oh you liked Sally did you? Not so fond of her partner. No, well I never met him. He wrote the transcript though so we should be grateful.” 

Donna smiled fondly at her daft alien and put her hand on his arm. “Is she alright?” She asked quietly. The Tardis chimed a happy response in her mind which answered her question. 

“Oh yes. Good as new!” The Doctor added. “She just missed us. Both of us.” 

“Oh I missed you too, sweetheart.” Donna put her own hand on the wood and was filled with warmth the instant her fingers made contact with the ship. “Shall we go?” Donna asked him with a tired smile. 

The Doctor just grinned and pushed open the door to the Tardis, racing inside like a school boy who’d had too many sweets for lunch. Donna took one last look around the tiny living room they’d called home for the last three months and then chased after him. The familiar whir of the Tardis’s engines filled her ears. She was home!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right. For those who chose not to read this chapter (sorry!!). It's essentially the Doctor and Donna stuck in 1969. We see the Blink episode from their perspective. It's mostly around Donna's work life, her boss and the other girls in her office. The only real character thing you would have missed from our main characters is that Donna asks the Doctor to help teach her some Gallifreyan, and our silly old alien gets a bit emotional when she says 'I love you' in the language for the first time. 
> 
> To those who did read it! Let me know what you think! I hope you liked it :) It was a strange one to write because it was sort of canon but really not at all. 
> 
> Until next time! 
> 
> Yaz (AvengersBarnes )
> 
> P.S I'm not prepared for the Series 12 finale. Pls send help!


	14. The Terran Holiday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor warnings for violence in this chapter! (see end note for more details!)

The Doctor stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, watching the stars twinkle brightly. They were in the constellation of Kasterborous, his home. Donna was in the shower so he’d taken some time to himself. It wasn’t often he felt this homesick but for some reason he just couldn’t shake the presence of Gallifrey from his mind, or more accurately the lack of presence. It weighed heavily on him, pulling him down into a dark abyss. In an ideal world he would have loved to show his home planet to all his companions. It was beautiful, really beyond words but thanks to him it was off limits. The Time Lords were dead and gone, and Gallifrey was locked beyond his reach. The only thing left of Gallifrey was a collection of flora and fauna that he had tucked away in the gardens in a far off corner of the Tardis. He was the only person that could find it. He’d ensured that the Tardis wouldn’t let his companions find it without him. It was too personal. He preferred to keep himself hidden as much as possible from his friends, they preferred the dazzling mask he wore anyway. Well, except for his Donna. She seemed to be the exception of all the rules he’d made for himself over the years. 

As the stars glittered above his head he was overcome with a burst of emotion. The projection was a pretty good replica of the star system but it was nothing compared to walking on the dusty orange ground of Gallifrey with her twin suns and sparkling silver trees. He gritted his teeth and blinked hard as his vision blurred with tears. He hissed in frustration and buried his face in his pillow. He smelled of Donna and her sweet vanilla shampoo. He took a deep breath and let the scent wash over his senses. When he opened his eyes the stars on the ceiling had changed, they were now flying past the Medusa Cascade. He really must take Donna there one day. It was beautiful and she always enjoyed watching the space dust and stars drift past them as they watched from the open doors of the Tardis.

He looked up as the bathroom door opened. Donna was stood in the doorway running a towel through her damp hair. She was wearing a fluffy dressing gown, much like the one she had back in Chiswick but this time she’d not bother to tie it up. It fell open exposing the creamy skin beneath. The Doctor felt heat prickle over his body and his hearts beat faster in his chest. They’d come a long way since he’d first caught her after a shower in her home on Earth. She no longer hurried to cover up her body and shouts of ‘Hands!’ were in the past. 

In one swift movement he’d jumped off the bed and pulled her into his arms. She was hot from her shower and the smell of her shower gel cascaded over him, overwhelming his senses. He hummed appreciatively as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Her hands found their way to his hair and he smiled as he felt her fingers card through the tangles. It always felt so good when she played with his hair. 

_You alright, Spaceman? _She hummed in his mind. He could feel her concern reaching out to him, thin tendrils of her mind wrapping around his until it weaved around him like a blanket. He exhaled and let her support carry his grief. It had been so long since he’d allowed someone to take care of him. 

He pictured Gallifrey clearly in his mind and shared the memory with her, hoping she’d understand. Words just wouldn’t do it justice. 

_Oh Spaceman. _She sighed and hugged him closer to her. 

She hummed under her breath as she rested her chin on top of his head. It was a little awkward given that he was taller than her but he’d always had a great talent at making himself seem smaller when he needed too. He could face down an army of Daleks one moment, standing tall and proud and then the next he would shuffle off the warrior facade and shrink back into the happy spritely boyish man that his friends adored. He was afraid he would scare them off otherwise. 

“You couldn’t get rid me, even if you tried.” Donna whispered into the cool room. 

He pulled back from her embrace and smiled down at her. 

“Now why would I want to do that?” He quipped. 

She reached up and kissed him and he hummed happily. Kissing Donna was one privilege that he would never tire of, even if they both lived for another century. He certainly would, maybe not with this body and this face but he had at least another regeneration left in him, and Donna… well, that was tricky. He’d been monitoring her every month or so since Lazarus. The lengthy exposure to the time vortex had certainly altered her DNA, most notably in the first few months but for now it seemed to have plateaued. He’d estimated that her projected lifespan, if he didn’t get them both killed before she lived to old age, would be about a hundred and fifteen. She was still more human than Time Lord though so that was something to be thankful for. He didn’t want to push her away by taking away her essence of humanity, even if it was by accident. As it was her telepathic abilities were now far superior to twenty first century humans, she’d probably give old Jack Harkness a run for his money…. if they ever met. He’d try and avoid that. The man was a complete flirt, and potentially immortal. He’d hadn’t quite had a chance to test that theory yet. 

“You’re thinking too much, Alien Boy.” Donna chided and booped his nose affectionately with a glowing smile on her face.

He smiled back sheepishly and ran his fingers through his hair. “Sorry.”

“Tell you what!” She said with a melodic laugh. “One last trip before we pick up Martha. We deserve a holiday!”

He raised an eyebrow at his mate. “We only just got the Tardis back and you want a holiday?”

“Yeah.” Donna drawled with a grin. “I just spent ten weeks working as a secretary to the biggest arsehole in 1969, I want a holiday!” 

He thought about it and decided she probably had a point. “Ooh what about the sapphire waterfalls on Midnight? It’s supposed to be stunning! Amazing spa facilities too, and an anti-gravity restaurant! You have to wear a bib!” He beamed down at his friend but she rolled her eyes and shook her head. 

“I was thinking something a little closer to home.” 

He frowned and thought about some of the planets in the Milky Way, or did she mean ever closer? “Oh how about Mars?” He suggested. “We could go find those Modern South Martians you wanted to look for, or I could take you to see the Ancient North ones. It’s been a while since I’ve dropped in. I saved them once a long time ago, their food supply was dying out during one of the Martian Imperial Wars and I helped fix it so they owe me a favour!”

“Or….” Donna trailed off with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. 

He narrowed his eyes at her, what on Tardis was she thinking. “What?”

“Morocco!” She sang happily. 

“No!” 

“But Doctor!” She pouted.

She’d been trying to get him to take her to Morocco ever since they started travelling together but he just couldn’t see the point. All of time and space and she wanted a terrible touristy beach resort on Earth. There were much better beaches, which ok yes he had yet to show her, and there were much nicer tourist spots. He’d shown her intergalactic theme parks and deep space cruises which flew by infant nebulas, and she wanted to go to Morocco!

“Absolutely not.” He insisted with a shake of his head. 

“I paid for the tickets!” She snapped. 

“I don’t care.” He snapped back.

“I’ll even let you fly there in the Tardis…” She bargained. “No planes.”

She had her hands on her hips and her eyes were like a roaring fire. He realised she wasn’t going to back down this time. He’d put it off long enough and she’d been stalling every time they’d popped back to visit Wilf and Sylvia. They both kept asking to see the photographs and Donna was running out of ideas. It had been only been a few months since Donna had first started travelling with the Doctor for them and in that time she’d had a failed wedding, Wilf had recovered from his illness and poor Geoff Noble had succumbed to his. 

The Doctor sighed as he rubbed his eye. He guessed that the least he could do for the family was provide them with a few photographs of their Donna having a good time on her travels. They needed some good news. He knew Donna had managed to take a few photographs that didn’t look too alieny that she’d shared with her gramps but Sylvia had been kept out of the loop, without the pictures of her Morocco holiday Donna wasn’t willing to share them with her yet. Otherwise she’d have to try and explain why the beach pictures suddenly appeared after months without giving away the fact that they’d only just visited the Earth resort and then they’d be into time travel and all sorts that Sylvia was best kept away from. 

They hadn’t had a chance to visit Donna’s family since they’d officially become a couple and he wasn’t entirely sure whether Donna was ready to tell them. He had a feeling she would want to keep it from her mother for as long as possible. Not because she was ashamed of being with him but Sylvia wasn’t his biggest fan as it was and he had a feeling that she would only judge Donna more because of it. 

Donna wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a slow kiss, snapping him out of his thoughts for the second time in the last six minutes and thirty three seconds. Instinctively his own hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her close to him. 

She smiled against his lips. “Back in the room?” She murmured. 

He hummed in agreement before recapturing her lips with his own but she pulled away after less than a second. He frowned and pouted at her but she was just smirking up at him, the minx. 

“So I’ll go get dressed and then we’ll check in at our hotel?” She asked as she stroked his cheek and along his jaw.

He gave her a cheeky smile and tugged gently at her dressing gown tie. “Do you have to?”

Unfortunately Donna was having none of it and she pushed him away gently, her hands resting over his hearts. “Behave, Time Boy. They’ll be plenty of time for that later. I want sun, beaches and cocktails!”

“Sex on the beach is my favourite.” He said with a wink and she jabbed him in the ribs. He yelped and jumped back hugging his torso to shield himself from her attacks.

“I know for a fact it’s banana daiquiri, you tart!” Donna laughed. 

He grinned back at her. “Oh all right then. You got me.” He brushed the hair from off her cheek and kissed her forehead. “but I do like sex on the beach too.”

“I thought you prefer a Harvey wall-banger?” Donna teased and he felt his cheeks heat up. She wasn’t wrong. 

They continue to shoot increasingly rude cocktail names back and forth whilst Donna, to his great disappointment, got dressed. He sat cross-legged on the bed watching as she flitted about the room gathering her clothes and he watched with interest as she put her make-up on, she struggled a little bit with her eye makeup as her hands were still shaking with laughter. 

“Oh stop it, you prawn!” She chided as he made another joke that made her laugh, her mascara wand dropped back onto the dresser. “Get out! I’ll meet you in the console room. I’ll never finish getting ready at this rate.”

He grinned and leapt up off the bed. He padded over to her and kissed her hair. “I love you.” He whispered in Gallifreyan, still marvelling over the fact she could understand it, as he took in her warm comforting scent. 

Donna leaned into his chest and smiled up at him in the mirror. “I love you too, Spaceman.” She replied in Gallifreyan before switching to English. “Now off with you.”

“Did you want to drive?” He asked from the doorway, giving his partner one last look before heading towards the console room. 

“Oh go on then.” She grinned. “We might actually get to Morocco this century if I drive.”

“Show off.” He grumbled teasingly. Her Tardis driving lessons had been going well. The Tardis made sure to assist Donna as much as she could and he was positive she was giving Donna advice when he wasn’t listening. Donna was almost as proficient at driving her as he was now. In flight was still a bit bumpier than usual, which honestly was impressive, but she always landed where she wanted to land and when. He definitely blamed the Tardis for that one. 

“Only being honest, Alien Boy!” She called back with a wink.

_It’s true! _The Tardis chimed in his mind. 

He glared up at the ceiling. “Stop taking her side.” He groaned. “You were my ship first.”

She laughed gaily at that and he got the distinct feeling that the Tardis didn’t care. She adored his ginger human mate as much as he did. It was a losing battle really. Donna had really wormed her away into both of their hearts and he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

* * *

Donna sighed happily as she slipped her sunglasses on and laid back on her sun lounger. She was finally having her honeymoon trip, only a year too late. Although having a time machine meant they were naturally completely on time. There had been a slight slip up when they checked in and the poor receptionist called them Mr and Mrs Bennett. That had caught Donna by surprise. She’d almost forgotten the holiday had been booked in those names. She had hastily explained there’d been a change of plans and the Doctor introduced himself as Donna’s new partner and childhood sweetheart. He made it all seem very romantic as he spun the tale of how he’d interrupted the wedding with grand declarations of love and whisked her away at the last moment. 

It was all very much like a film and the receptionist was completely fooled. 

She peered over her sunglasses out at the pool where the Doctor was currently splashing about. He’d made friends with some of the kids that were staying at the hotel and had in many ways become the baby sitter for the week. After Donna managed to reassure the parents that the Doctor was harmless with the help of the psychic paper, they had all been incredible grateful for the man’s ability to keep everyone entertained whilst they relaxed. 

“You’re cheating!” One of the kids, Eli, cried as he bobbed up for air. His swimming goggles were buried deep in his dark thick curly hair, Donna thought it was a miracle that he’d managed to get them over his head. 

“Would I do that?” The Doctor grinned back as he pushed his own floppy brown hair from out of his eyes.

“Yes!!” The three children chorused together. 

The Doctor pretended to look offended as they all splashed him. He raised his arms to shield his face from the worst of it but it just meant he sank back into the water and he spluttered as he got a mouthful of chlorinated water. 

The youngest of the children, Kala giggled gleefully. It was the first time her and her family had been abroad from India and she was loving every moment of it. She saw the world with the same childlike wonder that the Doctor did. 

The Doctor sank under the water and sat on the floor of the pool. The kids all stared as he stayed under the water and counted out loud. The Doctor didn’t emerge for over a minute causing the children to squeal in excitement. Donna rolled her eyes and pulled her book from her bag. She was reading Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie. Well, she was trying to read it. She kept getting distracted by the Time Lord’s pool antics. She hadn’t managed to read half as much as she would have liked in the couple of days they’d been there so far. 

With a sudden burst of noise the Doctor sprang from the water and yelled at the children pretending he was some sea monster. All three of the screamed and swam away from him as fast as they could whilst he chased after, always staying just out of reach. 

“Excuse me?” Donna looked up to see Mathieu’s mother looking down at her. Her auburn hair was tied tightly in a bun on top of her head and seriously grey eyes were peering down at her over the top of overly large sunglasses.

Donna took a page from the Doctor’s playbook and smiled brightly up at the woman as if they were already best friends. “Can I help you?” 

The woman, Cecile if Donna remembered correctly, was taken aback by Donna’s cheerful response but she pulled herself together quickly and a mask of total control and calm was back on her face. “We are very grateful for you and your husband.” Cecile started to say.

“Partner.” Donna corrected. “We’re not married.”

“Partner.” Cecile amended with a grimace. “But would you mind telling him to keep it down?”

Donna put her book down and crossed her arms. “You what?” 

“Well, he’s making the children all excitable and they are being really very distracting.” Cecile explained primly.

“You mean they’re having fun?” Donna asked raising her eyebrow at the blonde. “On holiday. They are having fun. I don’t understand what the problem is.”

“You wouldn’t.” Cecile sneered. “You don’t have children.”

Donna felt the rage swarm over her. How dare she?! The cow. She had half a mind to throw her into the pool. The Doctor was doing them all a favour by keeping their children entertained so their parents could pretend they didn’t exist and this witch of a woman was throwing the fact she didn’t have kids in her face. 

“Do you have any water?” The Doctor asked. “I’m parched!”

Donna’s head whipped round at the sound of his voice. The children were still in the pool, racing from one end of the pool to the other. The sound of their feet kicking against the water filled the poolside area. The Doctor was walking towards her looking like he’d just walked out of a photoshoot with water dripping from his hair. He was rubbing his ear at an attempt to get all the water out. 

He winked at Cecile who blushed and turned her face away, muttering something under her breath. 

Donna smirked at him and passed the bottle of water she’d grabbed from the pool bar. “Here. Knock yourself out.”

He took a swig from the bottle and then plopped down on the bed next to her, reaching over to take her hand. 

_You alright? _He asked quietly and then out loud he addressed the blonde next to her. “Mathieu is a brilliant lad. You must be so proud of him. Bright as a button he is.”

“He is top of his class at school.” Cecile agreed. “He’s on track to become a lawyer just like his father.”

_I’m fine. _Donna replied mentally. _She’s just a bit of a Nerys. _She felt the Doctor’s amusement at that statement. 

“Oh that’s not what he was telling me. He plays the harp right?” The Doctor grinned knowingly up at Cecile, blinking in the bright sunlight. 

“That’s correct. We believe it’s important for all children to learn how to play an instrument. It helps to build more neurological pathways in the brain, increasing their base intelligence.” Cecile replied almost robotically. 

The Doctor nodded. “Oh yes. Music is great. I love music me. Big fan. I even helped Mozart write his famous requiem.”

Donna rolled her eyes and faked a laugh. “Oh you do say the strangest of things, sugar pie.” She gave him a pointed looked and he smiled back, the picture of innocent. 

“Not as much as I helped him write Twinkle Twinkle Little Star though. That was all me.” He added cheekily. 

“Right. Well. As fascinating as this conversation is. I need to get back to my husband.” Cecile drawled and turned to leave. 

Donna watched her leave and then turned to the Doctor as soon as she was out of ear shot. “What was that?” She snapped. 

“Well, I got the feeling you were about to tear her limb from limb and I really don’t fancy getting locked up this week.” The Doctor grinned as he brought her wrist to his lips. 

“Makes a change.” She muttered. 

“Oi!” He protested. “We haven’t been arrested in our last…” He paused whilst he thought about it. “four trips!”

“No.” She agreed. “But we did get attacked by Weeping Angels, almost frozen by the abominable snowman, lost in the Gamma Forest and trapped in the Night at the Museum film.” That last one had been strange. The Doctor had found the editing reels for the film and gotten all excited. The idea of a museum coming to life intrigued him. Next thing they knew they been sucked into the reel and gotten a chance to interact with all the characters as they tried to escape back to their own reality. 

“Well, when you put it like that.” He laughed. “But no prisons!” He insisted. 

“And Martha thought she was doing us a favour leaving us alone.” Donna muttered sarcastically. “We haven’t even managed to finish one date yet without something going wrong.”

“Ahh, Martha Jones.” The Doctor mused as he traced circles on Donna’s wrist. She pulled her hand away with a laugh. 

“Oi. Stop it, Spaceman. That tickles!” She swatted him away and forcefully opened her book. 

“Ooh Agatha Christie!” He rolled onto his front and stared up at her from his sun lounger. “I’d love to meet her. What do you say?” 

“Are you just collecting authors?” Donna teased him and brushed his sopping wet fringe from his eyes. 

“Oh yes! Time Machine Donna! What else am I supposed to do?” He laughed. 

She couldn’t really argue much with that. Although for a time travelling alien, he was terrible at getting anywhere on time. At least they’d finally managed to catch a week off for once. A whole week in Morocco. It was going to be lovely!

* * *

The Doctor was actually having a really good time. He’d adopted a little band of kids for the week and he’d been teaching them all about the plants and insects that they found scurrying around the poolside. Their favourites so far had been a little lizards. Although he decided not to mention that at least a couple of the lizard species he’d seen weren’t strictly from around these parts, like a few of the bees, he’d spotted the smallest brownish lizards were visitors from another world, a subspecies of the Draconians. They’d probably been carried to Earth on the backs of alien spaceships. They were very fond of hot places and were often found in the engines of space crafts, they must have found the hot pavements to their liking. 

Donna seemed happy and relaxed which in turn made him happy. Yes there wasn’t as much adventure as he would like but the pool was fun and the food was incredible. Donna had chosen an excellent location for her honeymoon, well, as far as Planet Earth was concerned. It wasn’t half as good as some of the places he could have shown her but at least it was safe for once. It made a change. Plus it meant there was only a short trip into the future to pick Martha up, approximately three and a half months if he was correct which he almost always was, then again timelines did get a bit confusing when you were jumping back and forth all over the place. 

It was their third night in the hotel and they were having dinner. The dining area was an outside patio covered in fairy lights overlooking the ocean and they could hear the tinkle of the pianist from inside the hotel bar, a soft jazz melody that blended effortlessly into the background. It was magical, even he could admit that, and Donna was glowing. Not literally in the Time Lord regeneration way, or like she had when she’d been full of Huon particles, but she just seemed so happy and beautiful. 

It took his breath away. 

Her long ginger hair was cascading down her shoulders and her sparkling blue eyes were twinkling as she laughed at something he said. He hadn’t meant to be funny but he couldn’t find the energy to care. Not if it made her laugh like that. He could spend a lifetime trying to make her laugh, multiple lifetimes in fact. She was wearing a deep blue cotton dress that came down to just below her knees and she paired it with a gorgeous pair of golden strappy heels that he’d bought for her after she lost her shoes running from Lazarus. The neckline was, in his opinion, disappointingly modest and glared fiercely at him when he mentioned it. Although her eyes were still sparkling with amusement so he knew she was just pretending to be mad at him. She couldn’t blame him for trying right? He rested his chin on his hand as he twirled pasta around on his fork and gazed adoringly at his partner, wondering how he ever got so lucky. 

Donna tilted her head as she took a bite of her own food, some icky fish dish. He didn’t like fish. He was sure she only ordered it so he didn’t try and eat it. “You’re doing it again.” She admonished once she’d finished her mouthful. 

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Doing what?”

“Staring at me like I’m a bloody Goddess.” She accused, her cheeks were as red as her hair and she wouldn’t hold his gaze. 

“Oh but Donna. You are more beautiful than Aphrodite herself.” He said sincerely with a fond smile. She wouldn’t believe him, she never did and he was determined to keep reminding her until she started to have more faith in herself. 

She pulled her hair in front of her eyes as she blushed even brighter. “Tart.” She grumbled. 

“No seriously. It’s true. I met Aphrodite and you are far superior!” He insisted and brushed her hair back behind her ears so he could see her eyes again. 

“You’re making that up. Aphrodite isn’t real!” Donna said with a laugh. 

He raised an eyebrow at her and smirked. “She is too. You’ve had Asgardian mead. If Norse Gods can be real why not Ancient Greek?”

Donna let out a breathless disbelieving laugh and shook her head. “That’s ridiculous.”

“After everything we’ve seen and done together, you think me meeting Aphrodite is ridiculous?” He teased. 

“Oh shut up.” Donna reached across the table and gently hit him in the arm. “Even if she does exist, it’s ridiculous you think I’m more beautiful. I’m nothing special.”

“Rassilon I am never going to live that down am I?” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. 

Donna smirked and winked at him. “Nope!” She chimed and leant across to kiss his cheek, but he was faster. He cupped her cheek in his hand and met her halfway delighting in the sparks that flew between them as their lips met. 

“What if I promise to tell you how brilliantly special you are every single day forevermore?” He whispered against her lips as they broke apart. 

Donna laughed and smirked up at him. “Careful Spaceman. That almost sounds like a proposal.”

As soon as the words fell from her lips time appeared to slow to a halt. His hearts skipped a couple of beats and he felt his eyes widen as he gazed upon his beautiful fiery partner. He hadn’t meant it like that. Had he?

His Time Lord biology was screaming at him to bond with her. It was a leftover instinct from primitive Gallifreyans. The female presenting Time Lords couldn’t conceive a child unless there was a marital bond and so the survival of the species demanded that those bonds were created. With the invention of the looms it had become less important but Time Lord etiquette still demanded the bonds were in place. 

And he had been alone for so long.

Time Lords supposedly didn’t fall in love as fast as humans, although he was always a little odd amongst his own species. The theory was that humans lived such short lives that they needed to experience things faster. However, when a Time Lord did fall in love, they fell hard and irrevocably. The instinct to bond kick in almost as soon as a mate was chosen. He’d been suppressing that urge for over four months now. 

He was bound to slip up eventually. 

There were two ways to play this. He could roll with it, make it seem like a plan. Proposing in a romantic hotel on her home planet whilst they were sleeping in the honeymoon suite. It would seem believable but it was so fast for humans. They liked to test the waters more. They liked to know exactly what they were getting from their relationships before committing. 

Then again, Donna had been set to marry Lance within six months of knowing him. That was half the time that she’d known him. 

Maybe Donna was a little odd within her own species too. It was almost like fate was pulling them together. 

The other timeline was laughing it off. They joked back and forth constantly so it wouldn’t be completely out of character but in doing so he would run the risk of hurting her feelings. He couldn’t risk that.

There was no way out.

He could either propose far too soon or break her heart.

Where were the alien invasions when you needed them?

“Well…” He started to say, hoping something clever and witty and dazzling would come out but no words were coming to him. 

But he never got to finish that sentence as the hotel bar filled with the sound of blood curdling screams and glasses shattering on the floor. 

He frowned and jumped to his feet. “Come on!” He yelled as he grabbed Donna’s hand and together they ran towards the sound of the chaos. 

* * *

Donna yelped in pain as she threw her body behind a table that had turned on its side and threw her hands up to cover her head as laser beams shot out and hit the wood behind her. The Doctor had run off to try and discover what was going on, following some lead that his big old brain had managed to connect and leaving Donna to fend for herself in the chaos of the restaurant. 

She glanced down at her arm to see a large jagged shard of glass embedded in her skin just below the elbow. That explained why her arm was hurting. It must have been debris from the windows that had exploded in the laser fire. She wondered whether it would be best to take the shard out or leave it in. Martha would know. 

“I’m gonna bloody kill him.” She muttered to no one in particular. “One week. Just one week of peace and sunshine. Is that really too much to ask?” 

Her vision started to blur slightly, probably from blood loss. Potentially from concussion. She’d been hit over the head from one of the mechanical men that once resembled their waiters. Apparently they were androids, distant relatives to the Cyberman race, that were harvesting human parts to build a new empire that would be able to overthrow their Cyberman cousins that had somehow seemingly vanished from the universe. According to the Doctor, they were previously only scavengers and would land on planets following war or catastrophic natural events and harvest parts from whatever lifeforms they could find dying or freshly dead in the ruins of cities. 

Donna couldn’t remember what the Doctor had called them. 

That was probably around the time she’d hit her head. They looked human enough but beneath the fleshy exterior was clockwork like mechanics that had only become apparent after the Doctor had torched one of them with a blowtorch that they’d been using for the creme brûlée. The Doctor had completely geeked out over the beauty of the mechanics before he’d dashed off.

“Bloody men.” She hissed under her breath as she desperately searched for her phone. “Boys and their toys.”

She hit number two on her speed dial and her phone began to ring Martha Jones. 

It rang out. 

“Oh come on!” Donna groaned and hit redial. “I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important.”

“Hello?” Martha’s voice came from the phone and Donna exhaled a huge sigh of relief. Martha sounded pretty sleepy but it was an emergency so Donna didn’t feel too bad. 

“Martha! Hi!” She greeted her friend excitedly. It had been far too long since they’d said goodbye to her. 

“Umm… yeah? Sorry do I know you?” 

Donna’s heart sank. The Tardis hadn’t connected the phone call at the right time. In fact it was probably only just after Christmas for the younger Doctor in training. Blimey Time Travel really messed with relationships. 

“Right. Umm. Yes. No. Sorry. A friend gave me your number. I need your help.” Donna tried to explain. “I’ve sort of hurt myself and I can’t get to a hospital right now.”

“Can’t you call 999?” Martha asked wearily. 

“Not exactly.” Donna realised that explaining that aliens were attacking them probably wouldn’t help. “Please. I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t urgent.”

Martha sighed on the other side of the phone but she heard the rustle of fabric, presumably as Martha sat up in bed. “Ok. How can I help?”

Donna explained her injury in as much detail as possible, the location of the shard, the possible head injury, chances of infection. Martha was almost completely silent whilst she let Donna explain what was going on. She only interrupted to ask the odd question like how big the shard was and was that the sound of an explosion in the background.

The answer was yes. Yes it was. 

“Donna, it is Donna yeah?” Martha asked surprisingly calmly.

“That’s me.” Donna muttered sarcastically wishing the Tardis had intercepted the phone call and the Martha on the phone actually knew who see was. 

“Right Donna. Try not to remove the shard of glass. From what I can tell it’s probably helping to stop the bleeding. Only remove it if you absolutely have to or you’ve reached medical facility. Try to keep your arm elevated as much as possible. If you can try to pack the wound around the glass and look around for anything you can use as a bandage. That will help secure the shard in place until you can get to hospital. I think your main difficulty is going to blood loss and shock but I’m not a fully trained doctor Donna. I’m not sure.” Martha’s insecurity broke free at the end and Donna could hear her voice begin to shake. 

“I trust you Martha.” Donna reassured her. “Look I’ve got to go but thank you. Stay brilliant.”

Donna hung up the phone and peered over the top of the table. There were people cowering like her all around the restaurant. She spotted Eli across the room with his parents. Even from this distance she could see he was crying. A waiter spotted her and she ducked back just in time as a laser beam shot over her head. 

“Surrender!” The alien shouted. “Surrender and join the new Scouvan empire!” 

Donna took a shaky deep breath. She had to do something. The Doctor would do something and God know where he was right now. She put her arms up above her head, wincing as pain shot down her arm, but at least it was elevated as Martha had told her and hopefully it would look like she was surrendering as the Scouvan asked. It looked like there wouldn’t be much opportunity to bandage up her injury properly. She would just have to be careful and pray that the the Doctor would arrive in time. She knew he had medical facilities back on the Tardis which were probably better than any hospital she could find on Earth. She tried to ignore the pain as she walked forward with her arms held high, glancing around the room to access the situation the best she could. Around her guests were silently crying as they hid from the alien robots. There wasn’t much she could do for them, at least they were hiding. 

“Oi!” She called to get the Scouvan’s attention. “Roboman!”

“You will surrender!” He shouted back. It wasn’t a question. 

“Yeah. Go on then but first you answer me this!” Donna yelled, sounding a lot braver than she felt. 

There was a sound of mechanical whirring as the Scouvan turned to face her, half his face was melted away and his waiter outfit was scorched to ruin. “You will surrender!” He repeated.

“Yeah, yeah.” She agreed even though surrendering was the last thing she planned to do. She realised that going along with his plan meant she had a higher rate of survival. “But why now?”

“I do not understand.” The Scouvan answered. Now that they were no longer pretending to be human waiters the Scouvan’s were definitely on the dumb side. They must have gotten all their waiter dialogue from a book or something. 

Behind the Scouvan’s she spotted Kala and her family slowly crawling towards an exit. That was good. She could only hope that the other families and guests would do the same. She just had to keep the Scouvan’s attention on her. She could do that. Getting people’s attention was like her superpower, ginger and shouts a lot. She stood out like a sore thumb. 

“You lot are scavengers not conquerers. So why now?” Donna asked again loudly. “What’s changed?” 

“The Cybermen have been destroyed. We will take their place and rule this world as they were always meant to do. Flesh and machine will become one!” The Scouvan answered. 

“Oh I don’t think so, sunshine.” Donna laughed. “Do you know who destroyed the Cybermen?” 

“They were lost from this universe.” The Scouvan replied mechanically

Donna rolled her eyes ignoring the sudden wave of nausea. She hoped the adrenaline would keep her going a little bit longer. At least until the Doctor had finished doing whatever he was up to. “They weren’t lost mate! They were sent away and do you know who did that?”

“That information is not known to us.” The Scouvan answered. “It is of no consequence. You will surrender.”

“Oh but that’s where you’re wrong, Roboman!” Donna grinned. “It is a big consequence. Also a big coincidence because guess who’s here now to stop you?”

The Scouvan faltered and whirred loudly for a few seconds whilst it considered its reply. “Who?” It eventually asked. 

“Me!” The Doctor answered from behind Donna. She turned round to face him, relieved to see her best friend again. He was waving some alien looking device in his hands. “And look what I found!”

“That is not possible!” The Scouvan lifted his arm and took aim at the Doctor. “No human has knowledge of our race.”

“Oh yes!” The Doctor cried and took his place next to Donna. “No human does. Luckily for me, I’m not human!” His eyes flickered along her body taking in her injuries. His eyes darkened as he noticed her arm. He brushed his fingers against hers. _Are you alright?_

_Been better. Head’s spinning a little. I think I might be sick and I really need to sit down _Donna replied truthfully. 

_Go. Get the people to safety. Be safe. _He insisted.

_I’m not leaving you. Who’ll keep you safe? _She shot back and whacked his arm gently with her good one. 

“That is not possible!” The Scouvan cried. “Analysis states that you are Time Lord!”

“Now there’s two things that you don’t think are possible. Maybe it’s time to widen your mind.” The Doctor yelled back. “But if I were a Time Lord then I would know that this!” He waved the strange device. “Is the main control override for Scouvan kind. A defence mechanism for you lot if you get corrupt or diseased parts, stops the virus spreading to all Scouvans in the vicinity. Usually kept somewhere really secret and tucked away but little old me. I see a secret door or a keep out sign and I just have to look!” He shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry! You didn’t try very hard to keep this one out of sight though, humans are so primitive why would you?”

“I do not understand. It is not possible.” The Scouvan whirred and its head dropped for a moment. When it lifted the Scouvan’s movements were more fluid again, more human. “Can I interest you in a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc? It is the chef’s recommendation for the starter tonight.”

“Oh that’s all we need. Roboman has turned back into Jeeves.” Donna muttered. She had to blink hard to stop the black spots in her vision. 

“No no no no!” The Doctor hissed and pulled out his glasses, putting them on with practiced ease. He peered at the funny looking device in his hands and then pulled out his sonic screwdriver. It buzzed into life, bathing the control in blue light. “What’s up with you?”

“And how would you like your steak sir?” The Scouvan asked with a stiff nod of its head. 

Donna noticed the melted flesh on the Scouvan’s cheek had begun to knit itself back together. The Scouvan was looking more and more human with every passing second. “Doctor what’s going on?” Donna asked weakly as she leant on the table next to her. 

“It’s rebooting. It knows it’s been caught. Looks like it’s gearing up to perform a mass memory wipe of this entire restaurant. If we forget then it can continue processing the guests of the hotel in peace until the Scouvan army is complete.” The Doctor fired back. “But if I can just intercept the signal,I should be able to deactivate them.”

“Just stop talking, Spaceman, and do it!” Donna yelled at him. “Before anyone else gets hurt you Dumbo!”

“Ooh, always so demanding aren’t you.” He teased with a grin as he adjusted the settings on the sonic screwdriver. Donna hit him on the arm again. 

“Stop enjoying this! It was supposed to be a holiday.” She glared at him. 

“Oh come on. Robot waiters. It’s brilliant!” He laughed. 

She rolled her eyes. “I think I preferred Santa.”

The device sparked in the Doctor’s hands and he dropped it with a yelp. It clattered to the floor and a loud wave of energy burst from the device. Donna covered her ears instinctively and screamed as pain tore through her arm. The shard of glass fell out and shattered on the floor, blood poured from the gash and the room began to spin around her. 

“Donna!” The Doctor cried and wrapped his arms around her waist to stop her from falling to the ground. He helped her sit down slowly and pulled off his tie to wrap it tightly around the wound. 

“Flipping hell.” She hissed through gritted teeth and held her arm, blood quickly soaking through the Doctor’s tie. 

The Scouvans all crumbled to the floor with a mechanical shriek. The Doctor lunged for the control device and started buzzing it with the sonic again. 

“What you doing now?” Donna gasped.

“Making sure these Scouvans never reactivate.” He muttered not looking up from the machine. It fizzed and spluttered in his hands before bursting into flames. The Doctor hissed as he burnt the palm of his hand. “There that should do it.”

Donna’s heart was racing in her chest and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath, that was probably the shock that Martha had warned her about. “Spaceman.”

“Donna?” He looked up with panic in his eyes. “Donna! No no no! Stay with me, Donna!” 

“It’s so cold.” She breathed as she tried to keep her eyes open but his face was distorting and blurring in her vision. She didn’t have much time left. She was loosing too much blood. 

It was too cold. It was too dark. It was too quiet.

* * *

Donna’s eyes fluttered shut as she fell backwards onto the floor. She was deathly pale and he screamed out in pain. He had to get them to the Tardis. He scooped her up in his arms and ran as fast as he could without dropping her, cradling her head towards her body so it wouldn’t be hurt on the way. He ignored the guests calling his name and the pleas for help. He could hear the sirens in the distance. The police and other emergency services would be there soon. He’d done all he could for them. Now his priority was his mate. The scent of her blood permeated the air around him and he could hear her heart beating weakly in her chest. She was alive but barely. She must have been running on adrenaline before he’d arrived. Neither of them had realised how much blood she’d lost. 

He kept his mind closely linked with hers, wrapping around her like a blanket, refusing to let her go. He couldn’t lose her. He just couldn’t. Not now. Not after everything. 

_Spaceman _She called to him. Her voice a shadow of what it normally was. 

_I’ve got you Donna. I’ll save you. _He promised. 

_You always do. _

Then silence. She was too weak to respond. No witty responses about haunting him from beyond the grave or killing him for getting them in the situation to begin with. 

He felt the Tardis cry out in grief as he approached the Tardis. The doors threw open without his help and he mentally thanked his ship. For the first time in a long time the console room was not the first room inside the great Gallifreyan ship. 

The Tardis had moved the med bay right to the front of the ship. 

“Oh good girl!” He cried thankfully as he laid Donna down on a bed making quick work of the life support systems. Her body was bathed in light as she was placed in a state of temporal grace which would slow down the shock that was currently shutting down her body.

It would buy them time but not much. Even with the help of the Tardis, the human body couldn’t survive with the levels of blood that Donna currently had. Rassilon he’d been so stupid. How had he not noticed sooner! He’d been too distracted by the Scouvans and trying to save everyone in the hotel that he hadn’t even noticed how badly Donna had been hurt. The shard of glass must have hit an artery judging by the amount of bleeding. She’d been lucky that the glass had remained in place for so long, otherwise she might have bled out in minutes. 

He tore through the cupboards looking for the sachets of blood. Donna was B+. He knew he had some in here somewhere but he couldn’t find it. He found A- and threw it across the room, Sontaran blood, no good, Silurian. 

“Come on!” He shouted at the air. 

The Tardis chimed in his mind. An idea. 

“No, that would never work.” He muttered back. 

Donna’s breath caught in her chest. There was sweat across her forehead and she looked like a ghost. Even her hair seemed to have lost its shine. He knelt by her bed and brushed some of the loose strands away from her eyes and kissed her head. She was running out of time. 

The Tardis grumbled insistently in his mind and the lights flared brightly red in the room. 

“Ok. Fine!” He yelled back at his ship and span round to look in a different cupboard. This cupboard was brandished with dark circles of Gallifreyan and was locked not by a key but by a word. He touched the wood with his finger tips and whispered a single word, one that hadn’t been heard in the universe for a long time. 

The cupboard sprang open and he grabbed a blood bag before slamming the door shut. The writing on the wood glowed with bright golden light and the cupboard was locked once more. He linked the blood bag up with an IV and started the transfusion. 

Donna would die without a blood transfusion and he was out of options. 

He just hoped the Tardis was right. He’d never tried anything like this before. He’d never needed to. He pulled out a laser probe and used it to disinfect the wound before sealing it up with a nifty flesh regenerator that he had borrowed from the Sisters of Plenitude. At least that would stop any further bleeding. He set the monitors to run a full body scan of the redhead to see if Donna had been hiding any further injuries. 

Minor concussion, that could be easily fixed. Tear in her gastrocnemius muscle, probably from all the running, he ran the regenerator over the affected area and it glowed green whilst it worked. It looked like her little toes had been broken a few times in the past but nothing that required attention. Her heart was beating a little faster than it should be considering all that she’d just gone through but he could keep an ear on that. 

“Stop bleeping me.” Donna mumbled. 

“Donna!” He all but forgot the monitors that he’d been watching so intently and ran to her side. 

“I’m gonna flipping kill you.” She grumbled. 

He laughed in relief. “Quite right too.”

“No really. I’m gonna kill you and then pull you back from Heaven or wherever Time Lords go and I’m gonna kill you again.” She groaned as she opened her eyes. 

He couldn’t help but smile down at her. In reality she looked terrible but he couldn’t help but think how beautiful she was. She was alive and that was the most beautiful thing in the universe. “Can’t I just regenerate?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Only if you really try to be Brad Pitt this time.”

He kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll try my best, my love.”

“You’d better.” She laughed weakly. “Thank you.”

“What for?” He asked with a frown. 

“Saving me.” 

“I always will.” He swore sincerely. “I promised Wilf I would remember?”

There was no reply. She’d fallen back asleep again. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair as he wondered how the day had gotten so bad so quickly. They’d had three blissfully quiet days at the hotel. He hadn't even felt bored by it. Well, not much any way. He would never be one for reading books by the pool and spending hours lounging in the sun but he’d had fun. The kids had been great company too whilst Donna was busy relaxing. They’d even had time to work on her Gallifreyan together. She was still only learning the basics, mostly the alphabet, but he was amazed by how quickly her Super Temp brain was picking up the almost extinct language. He remembered the nights together very fondly and the quick witted conversations during dinner. His hearts raced as he remembered their last conversation before the explosions had happened as the Scouvan’s malfunctioned and revealed themselves to the hotel guests. He’d almost accidentally proposed to her…

They’d never quite resolved that one. Would she even remember?

He almost hoped she wouldn’t. Human etiquette dictated that they weren’t ready for that yet. It was too soon. 

Donna’s body glowed faintly as his blood worked its way through her veins. He sighed and leant forward to rest his chin on the side of the bed. He really hoped that this wouldn’t change her too much. It seemed to be enough blood that she was no longer on the brink of death and it looked like the Time Lord healing abilities had boosted her recovery already. Colour was returning to her cheeks already and he could feel the buzz of her mind against his, stronger than it had been before the incident. 

He swallowed nervously as he watched the light dance over her body. It wasn’t full regeneration energy, not like this, more like when a Time Lord passed regeneration energy between each other if one was injured, or when he’d given some of his life to a cell in the Tardis. Same basic energy source but in much smaller amounts. It disappeared into her mouth as she took a deep breath. He listened carefully to her heart, still singular, then inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. She still smelled like a human, mostly. Time Lord enough to confuse the Family of Blood though if they’d still been around. 

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his neck. “Oh Donna. I’m so sorry.”

* * *

The Tardis was humming and insistently in Donna’s ear as she started to become aware of her surroundings. The sound of the engines thrummed and pulsed loudly all around her as they spun through the time vortex. She groaned as she tried to open her eyes. The lights were too bright and she silently begged the old ship to turn them down. She wondered how much she had drunk last night. It must have been ridiculous amounts considering her headache and current light sensitivity. The last thing she could remember was sitting in the hotel restaurant with the Doctor. 

Someone was stroking her wrist, she presumed it was the Doctor. It smelt like the Doctor at any rate and if they were in the Tardis which it sounded like they were then it could only be the Doctor. She noted with curiosity that she could hear his heartbeats pounding in his chest, something she could only do usually when she used him as a Time Lord shaped pillow.

_Doctor? _She asked cautiously. Not quite trusting her voice. She felt his surprise at her sudden words. 

_Bella Donna. _He replied and his relief washed over her. She felt his lips pressed against her forehead. 

_How much did I drink last night? _

He was surprised by her question. _You don’t remember?_

He was panicking and she could feel her own heart rate quicken empathically. She inhaled deeply as she made another effort to open her eyes. It wasn’t quite as bright this time and she was greeted by the Doctor’s soft brown eyes staring down at her filled with concern and worry. She could tell in an instant that he hadn’t slept. His face was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. His suit was disheveled and his brown hair was even messier than usual. She realised with a start that they weren’t in their bedroom but in the Tardis medical bay. The smell of antiseptic suddenly burnt the inside of her nose. It was a miracle that she hadn’t noticed it before. She grimaced as the smell intruded her taste buds and she was left with a bitter taste in her mouth. 

“What happened?” She croaked hoarsely. 

The Doctor smiled apologetically and reminded her of the Scouvan’s attack. Images flashed before her mind as he spoke as the memories came back to her, she wasn’t entirely sure if they were her memories or his but it was good to fill in the blanks. It was her least favourite part about drinking. She hated that blank spot when anything or nothing could have happened. She looked down at her arm and was happy to see that there wasn’t even a scar left of her almost fatal injury. The Doctor’s alien technology had done its work beautifully. She didn’t really fancy explaining to her mum and Gramps that she’d almost died on her travels with the Doctor. Her mum didn’t like the Doctor on a good day and they still needed to think of a battle plan when it came to revealing their new relationship status. 

“What happened to the children?” She asked once he had told her how he’d only just managed to get her to the Tardis in time. 

He frowned and scratched the back of his neck. “Well…”

She raised an eyebrow at him and tried to sit up. “You don’t know do you?”

“Yeah.” He insisted in that tone of voice he used when he was lying to try and reassure her. 

“Take us back.”

“What?” He looked at little taken back by her demand. 

“Now. Doctor. I need to know they’re ok.” She insisted. 

“And if they’re not? Sometimes it’s better not to know.” He countered. 

She shook her head with a sigh. “No. It’s not.”

He took a deep breath and then nodded. “No. It’s not. Ok. Let’s go.”

He helped her to her feet and they walked straight through into the console room. The Tardis hummed happily in her mind and Donna could almost feel the ships consciously tickling over her body to make sure she was alright. She stroked her fingers along the console fondly. “I’m alright sweetheart, I promise.”

The ship grumbled back and the lights flickered. The Tardis wasn’t convinced. Donna realised she really must have worried both the Time Lord and his ship. They were both treating her like a china doll. The ship didn’t bounce once as the Doctor pushed down on the lever to set them into flight. He kept glancing up at her, deep worry shining in those big sad brown eyes of his. 

“Oi!” She called over at him. “What aren’t you telling me, Alien Boy?”

The Doctor smiled brightly back at her but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Oh. Nothing important. I’m just tired, love.”

Donna sighed. She wouldn’t push it this time. The Doctor didn’t outright lie to her much these days, not like this. If he was then she supposed there must be a reason. She’d challenge him in the morning once they were both rested and she’d had a chance to recover more from her near death experience. 

“I know when you’re lying, Spaceman. Just remember that.” She moved round the console to stand next to him as he brought the Tardis into land. 

“Right then! Earth, Morocco. Approximately three minutes after we left. Everyone should be there still. We make sure everyone’s alright and then we leave. Deal?” He raised an eyebrow at her. 

Donna rolled her eyes. He’d completely ignored her accusation proving that she was absolutely right about the lies. “Deal.”

“I’m not staying to make statements to the police.” He added. 

“One day you’ll handle your own paperwork.” She muttered sarcastically. 

“Now why would I do that?” He grinned. “I’ve got the best temp in Chiswick to handle it for me.”

“I’ll handle you in a minute.” Donna muttered sarcastically.

The Doctor laughed. “Ooh is that a promise?” 

Donna nudged him playfully with her shoulder and kissed his cheek. “You’ll just have to wait and see.” She replied with a wink.

* * *

Donna closed her eyes as she listened to the Doctor’s voice whispering to her in the dark room next to her. He was spinning tales of beautiful far off planets that they had yet to visit together. Places that he had never seen with his current eyes, and people he had met many lives ago. They were lying together in her bedroom in the Tardis. Her eyes were heavy and she could feel sleep creeping up on her. She loved moments like this. There was a still calmness in the few minutes before they fell asleep together that she rarely experienced with the Doctor. As he spoke, he stroked his fingers through her hair as she rested her head on his chest. She couldn’t help but notice how good he smelled, it was impossibly even better than usual. She wondered if he’d changed shower gel or something but it didn’t smell like chemicals, it smelled natural. 

She’d almost nodded off completely when a question popped into her head. It was so sudden and so insistent that it woke her up almost immediately. 

“Spaceman?” She slurred sleepily against the flannel of his pyjamas. 

“Bella Donna.” 

“What would have happened if you weren’t there today?” She asked quietly.

“Hard to say. Sometimes timelines split into two distinct possibilities, sometimes it’s thousand. We can never really know what could have been. The moment we arrived certain things became set in stone.” He mused, his fingers never stilling in her hair. 

It was all very distracting. She shook him off and tried to sit up, instantly his hands were around her waist helping her. 

“I’m not made of china!” She snapped as she settled back against the bed. “Stop treating me like I’m going to break.”

“You almost died.” He frowned. “I’m not apologising for wanting to protect you.”

“Almost, Spaceman, almost, but I didn’t. You saved me.” She reminded him. “but the thing is, Doctor, I was supposed to be on my honeymoon. If Lance hadn’t tried to kill me, if I hadn’t been dosed up on Huon particles, if I’d never met you.”

“That’s a lot of what ifs, Donna.” He scowled and sat up next to her so she could rest her head on his shoulder. “Do you wish you’d never met me?”

Donna swatted his leg gently. “Don’t be a daft.” She chided. “I just meant… if everything had gone to plan, my plan. I’d have been there with the Scouvans and they would have attacked, but you wouldn’t have been there to save us. Would we have all died?”

The Doctor sniffed a deep breath and rubbed his cheek. “It’s not that simple.”

“Well why not?” She asked. 

“It’s probable that they only reacted the way they did because of the Tardis. Their sensors would have picked up her energy signatures. You might have just had a nice holiday.” He looked down at her with a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that.”

“You mean to say if we’d just flown here on a plane like everyone else then we’d still be having cocktail on the beach tomorrow?” Donna gaped at him.

“Well… that’s one suggestion. The other one is the Tardis would have eventually brought me here to save the day. It just might not have been me me. It might have been the next me, and I probably wouldn’t have known you but I bet I would have found you either way. Mouthy ginger girl from London. I’d have noticed you in an instant! Ow!” 

Donna had jabbed him hard in the ribs. 

“Mouthy ginger?!” She shouted. 

“That… came out wrong.” He admitted. 

“Oh really?” She said sarcastically. 

“Beautiful angel?” He tried as he brought her hand up to his lips. 

She snorted. “Pull the other one.”

“Fiery goddess and my guiding star in the darkness.” He winked at her and stroked her cheek. 

She tried to ignore the way her heart fluttered in her chest or the way her cheeks warmed under his touch but it was no use. There was only one thing for it. She tugged the duvet hard and pulled it away from him. He cried out in protest and made a grab for the heavy material. 

“Donna!”

“Doctor!” She whined right back at him and she couldn’t hold back her laughter. He was pouting at her with wide eyes, his lower lip jutting out and quivering ever so slightly. She conceded and pulled him into a kiss. 

_My Bella Donna. _He hummed happily. 

_Shut it Spaceman. _

The Tardis laughed at them and dimmed the lights of the bedroom. It was had been a long day and they were both exhausted. Even if the two humanoids didn’t realise it, it was time for them to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok TW for injury and blood. The first bit is alright the sections starting after the section that ends with,
> 
> -He frowned and jumped to his feet. “Come on!” He yelled as he grabbed Donna’s hand and together they ran towards the sound of the chaos.- 
> 
> Gets a tad graphic. Descriptions of some quite bad injuries.
> 
> BUT... for those who have read it all. Hello! Thank you for reading! I hope it's alright! I've currently written 3/4 of the very last chapter (minus a potential epilogue/sequel) so that's exciting! I wrote 6k of it today whilst waiting for the new The Amazing Devil album to drop, which is now has and I am quite frankly in heaven. 
> 
> Let me know what you think! :D 
> 
> \- Yaz


	15. There's No Place Like Home

Donna carefully pulled open the door to the Tardis and tiptoed through the doors into her bedroom. They had finally managed to stop the Tardis from wheezing as she came into land, after a few mishaps and trial runs that had ended with them running for their lives when they landed in the middle of hostile territory. In hindsight they should have probably tested the landing in a safe space until they got it right, but she had a feeling that it was the Doctor’s way of prolonging the inevitable trip home. He was almost certainly also trying to distract her from whatever it was he was worrying about. She noticed the way he kept looking at her like she was about to break or run away from him. He had been ever since Morocco. He’d lied to her in the medical bay and she had yet to find out why but every time she thought about asking him they landed in some life or death scenario and thought would just fly straight from her mind. Still, he couldn’t run forever. 

The Doctor peered out over her shoulder from inside the Tardis, wearing his brown pinstriped suit and pulling on his overcoat. “Ooh we actually made it.” He noted with amusement.

“With your driving too.” Donna teased him and then grabbed his hand to pull him out of the box. 

The Tardis barely fit inside her room but she had insisted that they park in the house. She didn’t want to have to deal with her mum when they arrived. The plan was to pretend they’d arrived late at night and managed to sneak up to Donna’s room without waking anyone up, at which point her mum and Gramps should notice that they’d both slept in Donna’s room, leaving them to make their own assumptions about the Doctor and Donna’s relationship, meaning that Donna wouldn’t have to work out how to tell them. All they would have to worry about is fielding questions about how quickly Donna had supposedly moved on from Lance. As far as her mum was aware, Donna had only been travelling with the Doctor for a few months, that was quick even by her standards. 

In reality, Donna’s feelings had started on a rooftop in London only a few hours after she had met him but those had been forbidden feelings. She’d still planned to marry Lance at that stage and she would have been happy to let the Doctor go if all had gone to plan, but Lance’s betrayal and travelling with the Doctor in such close quarters had meant those feelings never had a chance to fade away. They grew stronger and stronger every single day until she’d realised she was mad in love with him on some frozen planet in space. It had taken them almost eight months of travelling before they had actually gotten their heads out of their arses and admitted their feelings. That was almost five months longer than Sylvia Noble thought it had been. 

Time travel was a tricky business. 

They just had to convince her mum that they’d only been dating for a couple of weeks at most, rather than almost four months. It should be easy, they’d been faking the nature of their relationship since they started travelling together a year ago. Now they just had to do it backwards. Piece of cake surely. 

“What time is it?” She whispered to the Doctor. It was early she knew that much, if she had to guess she’d probably say it was around six in the morning but she wasn’t the one with the time wimey senses. Seriously, the Doctor was like Spider-Man but with time. He was just one walking alarm clock. 

He glanced around and then sniffed the air. “About six o clock in the morning.” He decided. 

Donna nodded, she’d been right. That made a change and it gave them at least an hour before her mum was up and about. If they were lucky Gramps would already be downstairs in the kitchen. “Hide the Tardis, let’s go get some breakfast. I’m gasping for a cup of tea.” 

The Doctor ducked back into his ship for a few seconds and then the whole thing shimmered out of sight. A moment later the Doctor appeared next to her as he opened the doors to the ship. “We just need to remember where we’ve parked her.” He noted. “You sure we can’t just say you bought an old police box on our travels?”

“And decided to keep it in my room?” Donna asked with a laugh, for a genius he really could be daft.

“Yeah.” He said. “Why not? I love the whole police box thing.”

“Why would I keep a police box from the 1950s in my bedroom, Spaceman?” Donna raised an eyebrow at him. “In case you hadn’t noticed I can barely fit my bed in the bedroom.”

“There are beds on the Tardis.” He pointed out. “And a kitchen, and a swimming pool, and a library. What’s the point of just having a bed anyway?”

“Just because not all of us have a writing desk and wardrobe the size of Narnia in our rooms.” Donna huffed.

“It’s bigger than Narnia.” He pointed out. 

“Oh shut it, Alien Boy. She stays hidden.” Donna grabbed his hand and pulled him out of her bedroom before he could argue anymore. 

They crept along the corridor of her house towards the kitchen. Her gramps’ room was empty as expected but her parents’ room was still shut. She put her finger to her lips and nodded towards her parents’ room. 

The Doctor nodded back and followed her down the stairs. They both flinched as the floorboards creaked and they froze, listening for any signs of movement. Donna heard the scrape of a wooden chair across the tiled kitchen floor and sighed. They’d been so close. 

“Who’s there?” Wilf called from the kitchen. “Sylvie is that you, sweetheart?”

Donna and the Doctor continued to sneak quietly the down the stairs. “Gramps!” She hissed as they approached the kitchen.

“Donna!” He cried happily and wobbled across the room to hug her. “And his lordship!” 

“Shhh.” Donna hissed. “We don’t wanna wake Mum up!” 

Wilf laughed and made a dramatic display of pretending zip his lips and throw away the key but Donna could see he was still visibly shaking with excitement. His old eyes were twinkling happily as they so often did when he saw her. Donna felt a pang of guilt for staying away so long. She really did love her grandad and she knew she should make the most of the time she had left with him. It was just that her mum was so infuriating. That kept her away from the house more than she’d like to admit. She considered kidnapping Gramps and taking him away with them on the Tardis. He’d loved to see some new planets, maybe a chance to see Earth from obit in the safety of the blue box.

“How did you get in here anyway? Where’s the Tardis?” Wilf asked excitedly. 

“We’ve parked her in Donna’s room.” The Doctor explained as he hugged the old man. “Good to see you again Wilf.” 

“And you, Doctor, and you!” Wilf laughed giddily. “You never said you were gonna be visiting!”

“Oh well, sometimes it’s good to surprise people.” The Doctor grinned. 

“What he means is we weren’t sure when we’d land because he’s a terrible pilot.” Donna translated. “Calls himself a Time Lord and can’t even time travel properly. 

“I am a Time Lord!” He protested with a pout.

Instinctively, Donna reached up to kiss him before realising they hadn’t told her gramps yet. She froze before she could reach him and just patted him on the cheek. “Daft Martian.” She said fondly. 

“Oi, Oi! What’s this then? You never said you were together? I thought you was just friends?” Wilf pointed between the pair of them accusingly. 

“Well…” The Doctor said. “We were.”

“Still are.” Donna interrupted. “Best friends.”

“Oh yes!” The Doctor agreed. “The best foundation for any relationship.”

“What relationship?” A sharp accusing voice came from the doorway. Donna winced and groaned internally. That was just what they needed, her mother had arrived. “And how did you two get in?”

Donna took a deep breath before turning to face her mother’s wrath. “I have a key, Mum. I used it.”

“Well I didn’t hear you get in.” Sylvia put her hands on her hips. 

“Well that was sort of the point!” Donna snapped back. “It was late. We were trying to be quiet.”

“How late?” Sylvia asked petulantly.

“Oh I don’t know. I didn’t look at the clock! We had a long flight. Thought it might be a nice surprise.” She shot back sarcastically. The Doctor’s fingers entwined with hers. 

_Hey, it’s alright. _He whispered in her mind trying to calm her rising anger. There really wasn’t anything to get cross about, it was just the affect her mother seemed to have on her. 

She took a deep breath and counted to ten in her head, ignoring her mother’s shrill tones. “Well a little warning would have been nice, missy. I thought we were being burgled!”

“Sorry, Mrs Noble.” The Doctor cut in before Donna could react. “It wasn’t a planned visit.”

“And you! How dare you take my daughter away just hours after her dad’s funeral?” Sylvia turned her rage on the Doctor. “Did it not occur to you that her family needed her? You just waltz in here and whisk her away as if you hadn’t dumped her back here for two weeks without notice!”

“Mum!” Donna gaped. 

“Sylvia!” Wilf gasped at the same time.

“No Donna. It’s not right. He’s not a good man, Donna. I’ve had the Government on the line asking about him. He’s not to be trusted.” Sylvia glared fiercely at the Doctor. 

“He left me here because I asked to stay! I wanted to be with Dad!” Donna felt tears well up in her eyes as her own anger bubbled up to breaking point. “and I left again because all you ever wanted to do was yell at me about my life.”

“I just want you to be better.” Sylvia yelled back.

“I am better! Just because it doesn’t fit into your neat little box of what life should be…” Donna started to argue but the Doctor cut her off. 

“Hang on! Sorry. The Government?” He asked with a dark look in his eyes. 

“Mr Saxon has been looking for you Doctor.” Sylvia explained. 

“Saxon? I’ve heard that name before. Saxon?” The Doctor let go of her hand and ran his fingers through his hair, ruffling it into a spiky mess. He turned to face Donna and gripped her shoulders with both hands. “Why do I know that name?”

“He’s running for Prime Minister?” Donna mused. “Came in after Harriet Jones.”

“Well, that’s what she gets for committing genocide.” He muttered under his breath. 

“Where have you been?” Sylvia laughed bitterly, obviously not hearing the Doctor’s snide remark. “He got elected yesterday. He’s our new Prime Minister.”

Donna scoffed. She’d never understood why people had been enamoured by the young politician. He’d skirted around actually making any commitments to any sort of policy but all of Donna’s friends were obsessed with him. Bloody Nerys was half in love with the man. “I can’t believe he actually got in.” Donna sighed. It seemed like Great Britain had finally lost it’s marbles. Maybe it was all the alien attacks that Donna hadn’t seemed to notice until the Doctor had swung into her life. 

“Oh don’t be like that, missy!” Her mum scolded. “You weren’t even around to vote. Did you manage to get your postal vote in like I suggested? No. Of course you didn’t. Too busy jet setting around the world to even care about your future. When are you going to get a real job, Donna?” 

Donna felt a surge of anger that was certain did not belong to her. She glanced up at the Doctor. His eyes were like a hurricane as he stood up taller than before and glared fiercely down at her mother. 

“Mrs Noble.” He said in a voice that he usually reserved for the greatest of enemies. Donna put her hand on his arm and tried to send him calming thoughts but he was either ignoring her or he couldn’t hear. “Do you have any idea how brilliant your daughter is?”

Her mother actually looked a little stunned. She glared up at the alien, obviously affronted by his confrontational remark. “Excuse me?!” She stammered.

“I mean it, because I don’t think you do. You nag and you yell and you shout at her over the most ridiculous things. Humans honestly. There’s an entire universe out there and all you care about is petty trivial meaningless things like ‘Is my daughter better than Mrs Cooper’s daughter?’” He spat out as he circled the tiny kitchen table. Her mum and gramps had to back out of the way as he gestured wildly with his hands.

“Humans? You’re as bad as her. ‘I’m on Earth.’ Honestly the pair of you are bonkers.” Her mum grumbled.

“Well I had to get it from somewhere.” Donna snapped sarcastically. 

“The point is, Mrs Noble, your daughter is one of the most brilliant people I have ever met and trust me, I’ve met some of the greatest minds that humanity has to offer.” The Doctor continued coming to a stop in front of her mother. 

“Tart.” Donna murmured under her breath so that only he could hear her. 

“Oh nonsense.” Sylvia insisted as she crossed her hands in front of her chest but she looked less confident in those words in front of the Doctor and his thunderous stare. 

“Sylvia!” Wilf cried. “Don’t you go saying those things about our Donna!”

“Well if she’s so brilliant, how come she can’t land a real job or get a husband?” Her mother defended herself. 

“Blimey. Mother of the year award goes to…” Donna snapped fighting back the tears in her eyes.

Her mother had always been bad but ever since her dad had died, she’d been impossible. The snarky remarks had become unbearable. She was putting even more pressure on Donna than ever before to fit into those boxes that made for a perfect daughter in her mother’s eyes. It was part of the reason Donna had runaway so soon after the funeral. 

“Well you haven’t exactly been a perfect daughter.” Sylvia snapped. “Where have you been? Hmm? I needed you!” 

Donna was about to snap back when she realised her mother was crying. Perhaps she had been too harsh on her. Perhaps leaving so soon had been wrong. She hadn’t meant to leave her mum alone so soon after her dad had died. 

But the Doctor didn’t seem to notice her mother’s tears. 

“You do not get to put this on Donna, Mrs Noble.” He said firmly. “She doesn’t need a job or a husband to be brilliant. Those are just… material tokens.” He waved his hand as he tried to find the right word. “But, for the record, I love her with every part of my being, with all of my hearts and one day, soon I hope, I fully intend to marry her.” 

There was a sudden silence as everyone in the room turned to face her. It took a few moments to realise why. Yes the Doctor had been defending her honour, which she could do herself thank you very much, and yes he’d confirmed they were in a relationship…

Donna gasped. 

The Doctor’s eyes widened and he froze in shock.

“I mean.”

“YOU WHAT?!” Donna shrieked. 

“I didn’t mean…” He stammered.

“Oh my god!” Donna cried and spun round in a circle. She half believed that when she turned back around the Doctor would be laughing at her and telling her it had all been a joke. 

But he was still frozen to the spot. She noticed Gramps sniggering behind Sylvia who had gone a strange green colour. 

“You don’t mean that!” Donna accused. 

The Doctor huffed. “I do!” He insisted.

“No.” She said not quite believing what was happening.

“No?” He asked with a wounded expression.

Donna’s hands flew over her mouth as she realised what she’d said. “No! I mean… I don’t believe it! Seriously?” She tried get the words out but it all came out in a bit of a jumble.

He looked down at her with his beautiful soft brown eyes, all traces of his anger at her mother had vanished, and he stroked her cheek. _Yes. _He said emphatically in her mind, leaving no room for her to doubt his intentions. 

“It doesn’t have to be right away.” He clarified aloud for the sake of her family. “You don’t even need to say yes right now but, well, just so we’re on the same page.” He tried to shrug nonchalantly. 

“Oh go on then.” She grinned. “But I want a proper proposal.”

He grinned and scooped her up into a flying hug. She squealed as her legs were lifted off the floor. There was barely enough from for him to spin her round in the small kitchen but he did it anyway. Donna sighed internally, so much for trying to keep their relationship casual in front of her mum. Oh god, she probably looked like a right tramp.

“Anything for you, my Bella Donna.” He whispered in her ear. 

_You mean it? _He asked, a gentle tickle in her mind. 

_Yes. Spaceman. _She reassured him with a laugh. 

“That’s my girl!” Wilf cheered happily. “Well done, Doctor!”

“Dad!” Sylvia snapped. 

“Oh lighten up, sweetheart. Your daughter just got engaged!” Wilf laughed jovially.

“She only just lost her last fiancé!” Sylvia protested. “Honestly!”

But Donna didn’t hear anymore of her protests. She was too busy wrapped up in the arms of her mad alien partner. She laughed freely as he continued to spin her round until she began to get dizzy and then gently lowered her back onto the ground. His hands cupped her cheek and he pulled her into a tender kiss. Donna barely even heard her gramps cheers in the background. She hummed happily into the kiss and smiled against the Doctor’s lips. 

_I still want a real proposal though. _She reminded him.

_A surprise or somewhere of your choosing? _He asked. 

_Oh surprise. Definitely. Down on one knee and everything. _

He laughed at that. _Humans. Honestly Time Lords have much better traditions. _

Donna rolled her eyes and stroked his cheek before burying her face into the crook of his neck whilst they embraced. _You’ll have to show me._

She felt a warm glow from the Doctor, his love for her was almost blinding through the link they shared. Any love she’d felt from previous partners in the past paled compared to this. She could barely remember what it was like to love someone this deeply and not be able share her thoughts and emotions. It was so natural to her now and yet it had only been a few months. 

“I will.” He whispered. “I’ll show you everything.” He promised. 

* * *

The Doctor was lost in his own mind as he sat with Donna on the top of the hill. The stars weren’t out but Sylvia had pretty much banished the pair of them from the small cottage during the day. Donna was lying with her head in his lap and his fingers were idling braiding her long fiery hair into a gentle Gallifreyan styled plait. It wasn’t quite the same without the flowers that grew on his home planet but the daisies he’d found in the grass would have to do for now. Maybe he could redo it once they were back on the Tardis with flowers from his hidden Gallifrey garden. 

He sighed heavily. Sylvia Noble was a force to be reckoned with. He couldn’t say half the things he wanted to to her because at the end of the day, she was still Donna’s mum and although Donna didn’t admit it very often, he knew she loved her mother really. 

And he thought that deep down, Sylvia loved Donna too. Deep, deep down. Most of Sylvia’s worries seemed to come from a place of love. She clearly wanted her daughter to be successful in life and in love, the only problem was that the things that made Donna happy and brilliant didn’t align with her mother’s idea of successful. 

Still he hoped that given time that Sylvia would understand the life Donna had chosen. He would have to keep insisting that the work he did with Donna was important. Maybe he could get the Brigadier to pull some strings at UNIT and get his pay check sent to Donna’s bank account. He wasn’t using it and then they would be able to prove that Donna wasn’t just travelling and ‘wasting her life’ as Sylvia believed. Maybe eventually Donna would even feel comfortable with telling her mother the truth about him and their travels. 

It wasn’t that he particularly wanted to take Sylvia Noble on a trip in the box but he had to admit that what they did was dangerous and he’d already almost lost Donna once. It would only be fair to her family if they knew what she was really up to. He normally wouldn’t really worry about it but if he was really lucky then Donna would be travelling with him for a long time, and he’d be staying with her on Earth once the travelling got too much for her until he had to say goodbye. This was no short term arrangement and it was already getting difficult for them to remember how long they’d been away or when they’d last seen her family. Eventually they would start meeting her friends and family out of order and that would be almost impossible to explain. 

He sighed again. He hadn’t meant to mention marriage. He’d thought he’d been doing alright at keeping things pretty casual for a Time Lord relationship. Yes they’d said they loved each other before they’d even been on a real date, but in his defence they had been married for almost two months before their first date. It would have been hard to go back to pretending he didn’t love her, not when he had all those wonderful glorious memories in his head, and it wasn’t his fault her mother kept going on about her lack of husband. What was he meant to do? Just stand by and let that go past unchallenged. He couldn’t do that. He’d never been one to pass by. Donna didn’t need to know that every instinct he had was telling him to marry her and formalise their mental link into a bond. He was just being a good boyfriend and defending his partner from her overbearing mother. That’s all. 

And anyway Donna wouldn’t let him call her his fiancée until he’d proposed properly. Whatever that meant? He’d once accidentally gotten engaged by making a very lovely lady hot chocolate. He probably shouldn’t have lied to her and said he’d understood the cultural significance of the cocoa bean, but that wasn’t the point! Humans had such strange traditions at times. What was Donna expecting? A ring probably but the last item of jewellery he’d bought her hadn’t ended well and she’d almost lost her mind to a mad Thespian. Maybe a grand speech about how much he loved her on some picturesque planet. He could do speeches. He was very good at speeches but not so good at expressing how he felt about someone, not to mention any planet they ended up on would probably turn into an alien invasion. 

He ran his fingers through his hair and let out an exasperated sigh. Humans! Why were they so… complicated?

Donna raised an eyebrow up at him from where she was lying in his lap. “Could you think any louder, Alien Boy?” She teased with a smirk. 

He tilted his head as he gazed back down at her, wondering if she realised how beautiful she really was. She was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt and all in all look pretty casual but he almost itched for a pen and notepad so he could draw her like this, all calm, relaxed and gorgeous. The way the sunlight sparkled in her eyes, and the teasing mirth of her smirk. 

He gave her a wide smile and then covered her eyes with his hands. _Sorry what was that? _He thought loudly at her. 

“Oi. Get off me! Spaceman!” She wriggled delightfully in his lap and he laughed as he trapped her hands with his. 

“Now why would I want to do that?” He teased. 

She glared at him furiously as she tried to break free from his grip. “Because if you don’t, I swear to God I will wipe that smug grin off your stupid face and feed it to the Daleks.” She snapped. 

“How?” He smirked.

“What?!” She shrieked, blowing a loose strand of hair off her face. He must have miss that bit when he was braiding her hair. 

“Well, it seems to me that you’re trapped. So what exactly your plan of attack here?” He held her hands a bit higher in the air to emphasise his point. Donna just laughed and her eyes twinkled mischievously. “What?”

“Oh nothing.” She sang mysteriously. 

He frowned and wracked his brains for something he’d missed. Why was she looking at him like that? From a tactical position she couldn’t get free easily not without hurting him and he didn’t think she would do that. Would she? He wasn’t holding her tight enough to hurt, she could probably break his grip if she tried hard enough, but on her back with her hands stuck in front of her it would be awkward for her to move. 

“What have I missed?” He asked again. 

_Brains over brawn, Spaceman. _ She tittered mentally and then he was pulled into a rather enticing and distracting memory from one of their many nights in the Tardis together. 

He didn’t even notice that his grip went slack and Donna had managed to pull herself free until the memory cut off as their bodies lost contact. He felt his face heat up and his hearts were racing in his chest. He took a shaky breath and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Yup. Right then. That’ll do it.” He mumbled a little lost for words as he blinked the world back into focus.

Donna was now standing over him with arms cross in front of her chest and a smug smirk on her face. “Alright there, Spaceman?” She teased.

“Yeah. Fine. Good.” He stammered as he tried to regain control over his thoughts and calm his pulse. “Good.”

Donna laughed and pulled him to his feet by his tie and into a fierce kiss which he was more than happy to reciprocate. “Tardis?” She asked with a wink as she pulled away with a ruffle of his hair. 

He recaptured her lips with his own. _Tardis. _He confirmed and together they ran back to the house.

* * *

For second time in one day Donna found herself sneaking out of the Tardis doors. They’d barely managed to make it back into the house and to the privacy of the hidden Tardis without getting caught. She’d felt like she was back to being a teenager sneaking boys up to her room but she admit the thrill of not getting caught was pretty fun and judging by the Doctor’s barely concealed giggles as they’d jumped over the creaking step on the stairs, he thought so too. 

They ended up spending most of the day back in the Tardis after Sylvia had shoved them through the front door following their rather explosive announcement of their relationship. They had intended to roam around the streets of London but that plan had quickly been thrown out the window in favour of spending more time with just each other’s company. Donna had taken the opportunity to interrogate the Doctor about some of the Time Lord traditions that insisted were so great. He’d been reluctant to go too much into detail, preferring to skirt around the subject by distracting her in other ways, but he had told her a little about Gallifreyan weddings. They had tried to think of a way they could combine the ceremonies, the consent giving from her mum and grandad felt archaic but he insisted that it was a sign of respect and it wouldn’t work without their consent. She did like the idea of tying their hands together, the physical symbolism of their joining appealed to her love of other cultures and traditions. She’d already had her white dress and church wedding that she’d dreamed of. She found that she didn’t really care much about that part anymore but it would be important to her family. She did insist on an engagement ring though, after all she’d been wearing the bio-damper for over a year now but that looked more like a wedding band than an engagement ring. 

She still couldn’t quite believe she’d agreed to it. 

She was going to swear off weddings and relationships after Lance but the Doctor had swept in before her feet had even touched the floor. She hadn’t stood a chance. 

And she really did love him. 

He was her best friend and the love of her life. They already knew how much they meant to each other. Formalising it really only made sense and she was curious about the mental bond that he had spoken about. She wonder how different it would be to the link they had now. From what she could tell it would allow them to converse mentally without physical contact and the ability to sense each other’s feelings would be much stronger. It would be more like they shared one mind and one soul than two minds connecting. 

But were they moving too fast? They hadn’t even had a big fight yet. Sure they bickered all the time when he was being daft or all superior alien mind, or when she got cross that she couldn’t understand and felt stupid when he started spouting about how much he knew about…. everything. 

But they hadn’t really argued properly. What if they discovered something nonnegotiable hurdle once they were married? What if once she started getting too old to run around time and space, he got bored of her? What if? What if? What if?

“I told you we should have parked outside.” He hissed in her ear from behind her as he poked his head around the door of the Tardis, making her jump. She shook her head and tried to banish the thoughts. She was being silly. That was just years of living with her mother speaking. She could feel him. She knew how serious he was, even if it was unbelievable.

“Shh!” She clamped her hand over his mouth. “My mum cannot know we’re up here.” She hissed. 

_We’re both consenting adults, Donna _He pointed out. 

_Not the point, Martian. _She thought back. _She doesn’t like you on a good day remember?_

“What do you mean they weren’t there?” Sylvia Noble shouted downstairs over the sounds of pots and pans in the kitchen. 

“I mean they weren’t there.” Wilf yelled back. “I told you I checked the hill and I even asked the Silver Cloak, there’s been no sign of them since this morning after you booted them out the house.”

“Well they can’t have just left!” Sylvia snapped back. 

Donna shared a look with the Doctor and rolled her eyes. Her mum had made so much fuss about them getting out of the house and now she was complaining about them leaving without saying goodbye. 

_There’s just no pleasing some people. _The Doctor noted with an amused expression.

Donna grinned back and leant her head on his shoulder. _Come on, Spaceman._

_We can’t hide forever. _He agreed and squeezed her hand as he stepped out into the room. 

“DONNA!” Sylvia shouted up the stairs and Donna froze. There was no way her mum had heard them. They’d barely made a noise.

“Oh come on, sweetheart.” Donna heard her gramps scurry after her mother to the bottom of the stairs. 

“Well the one place we haven’t checked is upstairs and they are late for dinner!” He mum insisted. 

_What do we do? _Donna stared at the Doctor in a panic, at least they were both dressed so that avoided any awkward conversations. 

“Umm….” He scratched the back of his head and then started pulling off his coat and suit jacket. 

“What are you doing?!” She hissed as quietly as she could. 

“Trust me!” He paused briefly to give her an impatient look. “Get comfortable!”

She huffed. He’d gone mad. He’d actually gone mental. Never mind two hearts he’d grown a second head and was not using either of them. “Fine!” She sighed and unclipped her bra and started pulling the straps down her arms from under her t-shirt. 

The Doctor had stopped and was staring at her. 

“What?” She asked. 

“Nothing.” He mumbled, his cheeks going red, and he pulled off his tie and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt. 

“Men. All the same.” She muttered under her breath as she pulled her bra off. “Tada!” She said with a wave of her hands. “So what’s the plan, Spaceman?”

“DONNA! Are you up here?” Her mother called from the hallway. 

The Doctor didn’t answer he just pulled her quickly towards the bed and she had to hold back a surprised squeak as she fell on top on him. The bed wasn’t quite big enough for the both of them but as she’d landed on his chest it didn’t matter. 

_Close your eyes! _He murmured in her mind and she finally caught up to his great plan.

She snapped her eyes shut and not a moment too soon as she heard her bedroom door open. She tried to keep her breathing steady as she heard her mother’s footsteps. She nuzzled her face into the Doctor’s chest for added effect and felt his arms wrap tighter around her waist. 

Her mum gasped and the footsteps went silent. “I see.” Donna heard her mum whisper quietly. “Oh my darling girl.”

_What the flip! _Donna thought at the Doctor. She felt him chuckle very quietly under his breath. 

_She loves you really, Donna. _He replied gently. _Even if she doesn’t show it._

“Donna?” She felt a hand on her shoulder shaking her awake and pretended to groan. 

“Go away!” She moaned in a tired tone of voice that she’d practically perfected. 

“Come on you two, it’s time for dinner.” Sylvia insisted. 

The Doctor shifted under her and he rubbed his face with his hands, then he ruffled his hair. “What time is it?” He asked, doing a pretty good impression of a normal human bloke in the mornings. 

“About seven thirty. Come on. Dinner’s on the table and your grandad is down there unsupervised.” Sylvia laughed. 

“We’ll be down in a minute mum.” Donna promised as she pretended to wipe sleep out of her eyes. 

Sylvia patted her cheek and kissed the top of her head. “See that you are. Both of you.” 

Donna stared dumbly after her mother as she left the room. That was almost a completely different person from the blonde maniac that had been nagging her til kingdom come earlier in the evening.

“Well then…” The Doctor said a little lost for words too apparently. “Dinner time.”

* * *

The Doctor was struggling. The food was amazing, he could see where Donna got her banana bread making talent, and oh her shepherd’s pie was phenomenal. Sylvia had decided on a whole roast dinner which he was sure was normally a Sunday tradition. It wasn’t a Sunday. He frowned and concentrated. No it was definitely a week day. He stuck his tongue out and tasted the air. 

Thursday. 

No wait. 

Friday. Definitely Friday. 

But it was all so domestic. The dinner, the chit chat, time passing in the right order. His leg bounced impatiently under the table as he tried to release some of the excess energy that was bubbling up under his skin. Perhaps there would be a well timed alien attack or something not quite right with the computers. He did love it when the computers went on a rampage. Sometimes it was alien life forms that had hacked the technology, other times it was simply a case of an extraordinary human accidentally mistyping some coding and creating a whole new form of sentient robotics. 

It was always brilliant. 

“John?”

He blinked to find the Mott/Noble family looking at him which a puzzled expression on their faces. He licked his lips and smiled brightly. Donna rolled her eyes but smiled fondly back. 

“Sorry! Off with the fairies.” He frowned as he remembered a particularly nasty encounter with the woodland creatures back in medieval England. “Well, when I say fairies. It’s just a saying. You wouldn’t want to meet actual fairies. Nasty lot the fairies. Don’t let the stories fool you. They are not afraid to kill you in a heartbeat.”

Donna put her hand on his arm and kicked him sharply under the table. _Doctor! _

“Sorry!” He mumbled. “This is delicious, Mrs Noble.” He tried as a changed of subject. 

Donna’s mother preened at his words and smiled at him. “Yes well. It runs in the family. My mother was an excellent cook. I have tried to teach Donna but lord knows how effective that’s been.”

“Oh very effective!” The Doctor insisted before Sylvia could run into another battle with her daughter. “Donna’s a brilliant chef. We take turns though, of course but she’s always going on about how skinny I am. She thinks it’s her mission to fatten me up.” The Doctor said taking Donna’s hand on top of the table. 

“Honestly, you give him a hug, you get a paper cut.” Donna agreed not rising to the bait her mother her thrown her. 

The rest of dinner was spent trying to explain how quickly their relationship had grown and showing off some of the photographs of their travels, starting with a picture of the pair of them by the pool in Morocco. They showed her some from the caves in ‘Wales’ and the Gamma Forests aka the ‘Amazon Rainforest’. Sylvia raised an eyebrow when she noticed the second sun in the sky but Donna quickly explained it as glare on the lens. Wilf was barely concealing his laughter and the Doctor smirked at him. Poor Sylvia had no idea just how much she was being kept in the dark. 

She seemed to have calmed down since their revelation at breakfast this morning, something that the Doctor was incredibly grateful for. There was still some tension between to the two Noble women but it was more like glowing embers than ticking bombs now. Either Wilf had done a sterling job at bringing the older women around or the time she’d had to think about his relationship with Donna had done her some good. Either way, she was making an effort to include the Doctor into the family which made him happier than he would have ever thought was possible. He’d been without a family for so long. 

“So you really do help people?” Sylvia asked quietly as she looked through the photographs. 

Donna nodded. “He’s not just called ‘the Doctor’ for the fun of it Mum. We travel around the world to some of the most amazing places but there’s a lot of bad stuff out there. Wars, poverty, people starving or being treated like slaves. We go these beautiful places and we help the people who have no one else to protect them. Without the Doctor the world would be destroyed, really Mum.”

“Oh. It’s nothing.” The Doctor waved off her praise with a wave of his hand. “Couldn’t do it without, Donna. I’m useless on my own. All my friends will tell you that. Martha, our friend Martha, will vouch for that. She helped out after… umm… well, with Geoffrey.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I am sorry. I didn’t realise that Donna leaving so soon would be a problem. I didn’t think.” 

“You never do.” Donna teased. “And I’m sorry too, Mum. The house just felt so small without him.” 

“It’s so quiet.” Sylvia breathed, barely above a whisper. “And you never call.” 

“I’ll be better.” Donna insisted. “I promise. We’ll visit more, I’ll call more.”

“And Sylvie will try not to hassle you so much, eh Sylv?” Wilf nudged her arm.

“I only want you to be happy, Donna.” Sylvia sighed. 

The Doctor shared a look with Donna, neither of them had missed Sylvia’s evasion of Wilf’s question. She certainly wouldn’t be reducing the nagging anytime soon but then again, wasn’t that what mums were for? At least the Doctor thought so, it was hard to remember. He hadn’t seen his own mother in many many years, lifetimes really.

Still that was the burden he had to bare. It was a heavy weight that he had grown accustomed to over the last couple of lives. The last of the Time Lords. 

Donna put her hand on his knee under the table and gave him a quizzical look. He realised she must have sensed the sadness in his heart. He shook his head. 

_I’m alright. _He insisted. She raised an eyebrow at him and sighed. 

_Tell me. _She thought firmly and he saw flashes of their time stuck in the Tardis during the time lock. 

He frowned and tried to ignore the burning desire to run. He wouldn’t work. It never did with Donna. He was already hiding the blood transfusion from her and she knew that. He really shouldn’t push his luck. 

_I’d forgotten what it was like to have a family. _He told her. He kissed her temple and then stood up to take some of the empty dishes to the kitchen, breaking contact with her before she could reply. 

He didn’t look back as he strode from the room. He didn’t want to see the pity on her face. It would be too much. 

* * *

Donna looked up in shock as the Doctor made a quick exit from the room. If she wasn’t careful he would go into one of brooding moods that was almost impossible to snap him out from. She knew he didn’t always want to talk about his past. She accepted that and she knew when to back off and leave him be. 

This appeared to be one of those times. However, usually they were back on the Tardis where he could disappear and take his time to be alone, or in the middle of an adventure where they would both be far too busy running for their lives to stop long enough to think about it. 

This was different. 

He was stuck.

And that was dangerous. 

She heard him clattering about in the kitchen, filling the dishwasher with the dirty plates and cutlery. She hoped her mum and Gramps would have sense to leave him to it for a while. With any luck he just needed a bit of space from the sudden domesticity they’d found themselves in. She hadn’t quite anticipated all of this when she’d suggested they needed to tell her family about their relationship. In hindsight it was probably the normal thing to do, but Donna’s perspective of normal had changed quite a bit in the last year. Normal was trying to go for a nice Italian meal in Naples as a lovely quiet evening date, and ending up trying to prevent the Roman Empire from collapsing two decades too soon, or going to the florist to pick up some flowers for her dad’s grave and accidentally being drugged by weird alien pollen. 

Normal.

What did that even mean anymore?

And was she really so out of touch that she hadn’t realised that her mother would sit them all down for a family meal. She had hoped that the Doctor and her could go out just the two of them to the old Mexican place around the corner. She sighed and brushed her fringe from out of her eyes. 

“What’s up with him then?” Wilf asked with a worried expression on his face. 

“Oh he finds all this.” She waved to the table in front of them. “a bit hard. He lost his family a long time ago. I don’t think he remembers what it’s like to be part of one.” She tried to explain.

Her mother gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “What happened?” She hissed quietly. 

Donna frowned. What could she say to that? That they’d all died in a war? But the Doctor appeared to be English and that seemed unlikely that his entire family had died like that. He wasn’t old enough to have been caught up in the World Wars. She considered a fire destroying his family’s house but that didn’t seem right. “It’s really not my place.” She evaded the question instead.

“Of course.” Wilf nodded gravely. 

“Well if he really is serious about marrying you.” Donna’s mum said. “Then he should get used to it. Us Nobles stick together. You aren’t taking his surname are you?” She asked rather out of the blue. 

“Umm…” Donna replied dumbly and then shook her head. “Nah.”

“Double barrel?” Sylvia tilted her head. 

“I don’t think so. Noble-Smith? Seems a bit daft.” Donna shrugged. “Maybe he’ll take my name. We haven’t discussed it.” 

She couldn’t exactly tell them that John Smith wasn’t his real name, or that she didn’t actually know the Doctor’s real name. She wouldn’t know until the ceremony if she remembered correctly. The thought of him trusting her enough to tell her gave her a warm happy feeling that she couldn’t quite describe. According to the Doctor there was no one left alive that knew his name and he’d kept it quite close to his hearts. Out of all the people in the universe, through all of time and space. He wanted her.

Her fingers found the bio-damp ring that was still on its chain around her neck. It felt warm under her touch, presumably from where the gold metal had been resting on her chest. Although she could have sworn that she could feel a low thrumming sensation from the metal band. She’d never noticed it before. Maybe that was the bio-damping effect that it was supposedly having. 

“All done!” The Doctor called cheerily as he entered the room. He had a bright smile on his face as if there was nothing the matter but Donna wasn’t convinced. She knew this act. She’d seen it before but she was wiling to let it slide. There would be plenty of time for them to talk about it when they were back in the time vortex. “Thanks again, Mrs Noble. Excellent! Bellissimo. Molto Bene!”

“Sylvia, please. Mrs Noble makes me sound so old.” Sylvia laughed. 

Neither Donna or the Doctor had the chance to respond as Donna’s phone rang. She checked the caller ID. It was Martha Jones, hopefully one that knew who she was. They’d been planning to pick her up later that day. It had been a week for her, hopefully. There was an off chance that they were a day or so late but not so much that Martha would have thought she’d been forgotten. 

“I have to take this.” Donna said and clicked to accept the call. She brushed her fingers against the Doctor’s cheek. 

_It’s Martha. _She explained. He gave her a small nod and let her leave the room.

“Donna?” Martha’s voice asked from the other end of the line. 

“The one and only! We’re not late are we?” She asked.

“Only a couple of days. I was gonna give you until the end of the month. I know what he’s like.” She gave a stilted laugh. 

“What’s wrong?” Donna frowned. 

“I need to find you. Don’t tell me where you are and move quickly. We’re in trouble. Follow the witches.” Martha hung up before Donna could get her to explain. 

She ran back into the small dining room and told the Doctor there was an emergency and they needed to leave. He looked more than a little relieved to be getting away. Sylvia protested but her Gramps had their backs.

“Go on, sweetheart, go and save the world!” He cheered loudly as they ran from the room. 

“Sorry Mum!” Donna called back. “We’ll be back as soon as we can!”

The Doctor grinned and took her hand as they thundered up the stairs towards the Tardis. She could tell that he was raring to go onto the next adventure. Only a day back in her home and he was bored. She laughed. What was she going to do with him?

“Donna? What’s going on?” He asked with a grin as they burst into her room. He was practically bouncing from excitement. 

“Tardis!” She shoved him into the space where she hoped the Tardis was. 

He bashed his head on the invisible box and yelped, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead. The Tardis doors flew opened and they bundled inside. “Donna!” He protested as she launched them into the time vortex with some guidance from the Tardis in the back of her mind.

She’d gotten a lot better at driving since Morocco, it was like it suddenly all fell into place. She’d always had a knack for parking the time machine but she’d struggled to keep them steady in flight but now it was like the Tardis responded to her touch before she’d even made the decision to push the lever or button or keys. 

“Donna stop!” He insisted and covered her hands on the console with his. _Tell me what’s wrong._

_I don’t know. _She replied. _She just said to move and to follow the witches. _

“Follow the witches?” The Doctor seemed as surprised as she was. 

_She couldn’t tell me where she was. _Donna mused. 

“She’s being followed. Her call was being hacked. Witches. That’s a clue to find her. She can’t travel in time so it’ll be in relative time that narrows it down.” The Doctor let go of her hand and began to spin around the console room, tugging at his hair as he thought about Martha’s puzzle. “Witches. Come on Donna think! Why witches?”

“Is there a Harry Potter convention?” She asked. She’d seen it before with conventions in London. There would be hundreds of people in costume walking through the streets towards the venue. “Follow the witches, could be costumes?”

“Nah. That’s too obvious. Anyone would be able to figure it out. No it’s more personal than that. Martha’s clever. It’ll be only something we know, but what do we know?” He groaned and then cried out in frustration. “Come on! She’s a human. It can’t be that complex.”

“Oi!” Donna scowled. “Less of that, Sunshine!” 

“Witches, Wizards, Sorcerers, Mages.” The Doctor thought aloud. 

“Carrionites!” Donna gasped as the thought hit her. 

“Carrionites! Oh Donna Noble, well done!” He kissed her, cupping her face in his hands. 

_ I love you, Donna Noble! _He sang in her mind. 

“Tart.” She replied with a blush as he began to furiously type in coordinates on the monitor, adjusting the screen so he could see it better. “So what does it all mean?”

“It means, my Bella Donna, that we are going to the Globe!” He pushed down on the lever and they jerked into flight. 

It wasn’t a long flight, a minute at the most. The Tardis landed silently and stealthily. Donna realised they still hadn’t changed the settings back to normal. The Doctor checked the screens in front of him with a dark expression on his face. 

“Got her. Now if I can just shift us about two feet to the left, I should be able to materialise around her.” He pondered aloud. 

Donna glanced at the screen. Martha was outside the Globe, overlooking the Thames. She was wearing her signature leather jacket and her hair was pulled back off her face. She was looking around nervously and shifting her weight from one foot to another like she couldn’t quite keep still, like she was ready to run. The Doctor spun the dial just to her left to adjust the Tardis’s shield settings which would allow Martha to be sucked inside the box rather than squished underneath it, and then flipped the lever back down. 

Donna heard Martha’s screams before the girl materialised inside of the Tardis and she raced over to hug her friend. 

“It’s ok! It’s us. The Doctor and Donna.” She repeated as she wrapped her arms around the young medical student. 

“Oh my god it’s you!” She cried in relief and hugged Donna back tightly. “I thought I was being kidnapped.”

“Nah.” The Doctor shook his head with a cheeky grin and came over to join their hug. “Only abducted by aliens. Well, one alien and one human.” 

The Tardis lights began to flicker and a persistent beeping rang out in the room. “Doctor what’s that?” Donna asked.

“No no no no! Not now! Why now?” He groaned. 

“Don’t tell me you’ve come to pick me up before she’s had her annual check up?” Martha teased as she sat back on one of the stools. 

“She needs fuel.” He moaned. “Shielding her probably drained her faster than usual.” 

“What about the Eye of Harmony?” Donna asked. “Isn’t that like endless energy?” 

“The eye of what?” Martha asked. 

“Blackhole in the centre of the Tardis.” The Doctor explained with a wave of his hand. “How did you know about that?”

“I asked her.” Donna said with a shrug. “Travelling through time and space with no fuel. I got curious.”

“You… oh never mind. It’s a Type 40 fault. She needs energy from a rift in the space time continuum.” He said through gritted teeth. “and she has the worst timing!” The Tardis console sparked and hit the Doctor firmly in the chest. Both Donna and Martha started to laugh as the Doctor glared at the central column of the ship. “Oi! Don’t get sassy with me!”

“So do we have enough energy to get to the nearest rift?” Martha, ever sensible Martha asked. “Or are we stranded in London?”

“Oh we’re alright. It’s only a short jump to Cardiff. I’ll just have to drop the light refractors. She won’t make it if we stay invisible.” The Doctor mused as he rubbed his cheek thoughtfully. 

“We’re invisible?” Martha asked. 

“Oh yes!” He grinned. “Not for long though. Donna can you set up a flight path to Cardiff. The Tardis will latch onto the rift so don’t worry about specific coordinates, preferably this century. It’ll take less power that way. Once you’ve entered the flight path I’ll drop the refractors and we’ll be visible again. If we time it right then it’ll be only a fraction of a second before we dematerialise and whoever is chasing Martha won’t be able to find us.” He rattled off the instructions. 

Donna frowned. Cardiff? Really? 

But she set about inputting the flight path as instructed, feeling pleased that the Doctor thought her driving skills were up to the test. Normally he’d be watching her like an eagle whenever she took the metaphorical wheel. 

“Anything I can do to help?” Martha asked. 

The Doctor looked up from where he was fiddling with the shields and the invisibility functions. Judging by the look on his face he’d almost forgotten Martha was there. “Right. Yes.” He paused to think. “Tell us everything you know about Mr Saxon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings in this one! Whoop! This was definitely a filler chapter but... It's probably the last rest these dorks will get until the end... so... enjoy! :P 
> 
> Also... You'll have noticed this now has a number for how many chapters! Magic. There is a small chance it will jump to 19 with an epilogue but for now I'm sticking with 18. I do have plans for a sequel but there will definitely be a gap between posting it because I've been writing this one for like 5 months? This writer needs a breather. (I might have already said this last chapter... but I'm saying it again)
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!! :D Let me know what you think :)
> 
> \- Yaz


	16. Utopia

Martha Jones was back in the Tardis and in many ways it felt like she had never been away. The Tardis itself never seemed to change with it’s flashing lights and coral pillars, and the Doctor was still there in his brown pinstriped suit. At least Donna had more than two outfits but even still some things stayed the same. The most notable difference in the Tardis was the way Donna and the Doctor moved around each other. They had always been close, always been tactile but this was a whole new level. For Martha it had only been just over a week since she’d seen her friends but she could tell in an instant that it had been longer for them. When she’d left them they had still been adjusting to their new relationship but now it was like they were almost one person. She could see them non-verbally communicating as their fingers brushed against each other as they moved in harmony around the Tardis console. Donna seemed more confident in herself and her driving abilities now. She no longer hesitated before pushing a button or flicking a switch. The Doctor watched Donna intently with a dazed fond smile before remembering he was also driving the Tardis. 

The Tardis was steadier in flight than it had been for any other flight that Martha had taken. It seemed almost too quiet as she watched the central column move gently in the middle of the console. She theorised that it was because now her two friends were driving the Tardis together rather than one of them running round the console desperately trying to hit all the switches at once, especially if Donna was in a flap about what she was supposed to be doing. Martha had tried to have a go at driving. She was alright if the Doctor was guiding her or if Donna was on the other side of the console doing half the work but the Tardis didn’t seem to respond to her as well as she did with the Doctor or Donna. 

So Martha had settled down on one of the stools as she tried to recall everything she knew about their new Prime Minister. It had been a shock for her once she’d returned home from the old school to find Harold Saxon in her kitchen. Apparently some of his agents had seen her leave Lazarus’s place with the Doctor and Donna, and interrogated her mother about it, poisoning her against the Time Lord and his ginger friend. 

It had been just over a week and Martha had had to be careful about everything she’d done or said. She’d been followed to the hospital by dark windowed vehicles more than once and she was pretty certain they had placed a tracker in her phone. She had made contact with Donna’s grandfather after a couple of days to warn him about Mr Saxon and his obsession with finding the Doctor but when she’d arrived at the cafe where they’d agreed to meet she noticed a least a handful of strangers wearing earpieces and she’d left before Wilf could arrive. 

After that she’d avoided using her phone as much as possible. She didn’t want to risk getting Donna’s family in danger. She hoped that Wilf would be smart enough to stop Sylvia Noble getting too involved with Mr Saxon. He was soldier, he would notice that something wasn’t right. 

After Mr Saxon had been elected as Prime Minister she knew she couldn’t hide anymore. There was something strange happening on Earth and the Doctor needed to know so she’d called Donna. She had begun to think she’d been too cryptic as she waited by the Globe theatre, watching the ducks swim along the Thames, that is until the Tardis materialised around her. 

It had terrified her at first. The engines had been on silent, which she hadn’t even realised was possible, and it was like all at once London had begun to morph out of view. If someone knew who the Doctor was and was looking for him then it was highly likely they would have access to alien technology but luckily it had been the Doctor’s friendly face that had materialised and Donna’s arms around her. 

And now they were en route to Cardiff to refuel. 

“But seriously Doctor, Cardiff?” She asked as she came to the end of her Harold Saxon tale. 

“What’s wrong with Cardiff?” He asked with a frown on his face.

“Nothing’s wrong with Cardiff. It’s just a bit mundane isn’t it? A rift in the space time continuum and it’s in Cardiff?” Martha laughed. It all seemed a bit silly. “You’d think it would be New York or Washington or somewhere important. I don’t know. London normally gets the aliens doesn’t it?”

“Oh that’s just the Americans being all self important, and stop being so English. Wales is very important. It’s got the biggest time rift in the UK for one, possibly the entire solar system.” The Doctor mused. 

“So why don’t the aliens attack Cardiff more?” Donna asked.

“Because most aliens can’t sense time like I can.” The Doctor raised an eyebrow at them both as he spun a dial on the Tardis console. “Right then! Here we are.” He spun the scanner round so he could see it. “Cardiff!! Should only take twenty seconds. The rift's been active.”

“Active what’s that mean?” Donna asked. 

“I’m not sure, things coming through the rift maybe? But the Tardis would have brought me here if there was anything I needed to help with.” The Doctor frowned thoughtfully as he looked at the screens. 

“Wait a minute. They had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple of years ago. Was that you?” Martha asked as she remembered seeing the story on the news. 

“What earthquake?” Donna frowned. Martha huffed a laugh, typical Donna, not noticing the strange and weird alien attacks in the world.

The Doctor was watching the data spiral on the screen in front of him. “Bit of trouble with the Slitheen.” He mused. “That was a long time ago, lifetimes. I was a different man back that.” He seemed a bit distracted by that thought as he ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Ooh was that when you were all brooding and leather? How come I never got meet brooding and leather?” Donna teased with a grin. 

The Doctor pouted. “Oi! You got me instead and he’s in here somewhere. I keep them all with me.”

“I know, you prawn.” Donna smiled fondly up at him and patted him arm. 

The Doctor grinned down at her then turned back to the screen and frowned. “Finito. All powered up!” He slammed down on the lever to send them back into the time vortex, even Martha knew that one without help. 

“What was that?” Donna asked sharply.

“What?” The Doctor responded as he gazed fondly up at the centre of the Tardis console. 

“I thought I heard.” She paused and shook her head. “Never mind.”

“So where to?” Martha asked. 

“Well, I think we should probably work out what…” The Doctor never finished his sentence as the console sparked and they were all thrown backwards onto the floor. 

Martha shrieked in surprised as she grabbed onto the stool to support herself and the three of them scrambled up off the floor and reached up for the edge of the console.

“Flipping hell!” Donna shouted.

“What’s that?” Martha asked as the Doctor threw his foot up to steady himself as he tried to regain control of the Tardis. 

The console sparked again and Martha shielded her eyes. She could feel the heat from the embers and she was barely able to keep her footing as they were jolted about in the vortex. 

“Donna! The brakes!” The Doctor shouted and Donna scrambled around to the other side of the console.

“Doctor! What’s going on?” Martha yelled back more firmly. 

He stared at the screen in front of him with a dark expression on his face. Martha glanced at the screen but it was just spinning circles of Gallifreyan so she had no hope of understanding. For a moment she thought he still hadn’t heard her.

“We're accelerating into the future. Donna!! I said hit the brakes!” He leaned out to look at their friend around the central column.

“I am!” She yelled back. “She’s not working!”

“What do you mean she’s not working?” The Doctor scowled as he looked back at the screens. “No but that’s impossible.” He said, suddenly quiet.

“What is it?” Martha asked as she looked frantically between her friends. “Doctor!”

“The year one hundred trillion.” He trailed off. 

“You what?” Donna yelled.

“One hundred trillion?!” Martha stared in shock at the alien. That was inconceivably far into the future, older than her own planet and probably well past its destruction. She wondered if humans were even still alive. She knew from her travels with the Doctor, both with Donna and without, that humans lasted beyond the Earth, that they expanded and reached all across the universe but could they really still be recognisable as humans after that many years. Surely they would have evolved by then. “What happens then?” 

The Doctor frowned and ran his fingers through his hair. “Well… It’s the end of the universe.”

The Tardis jolted and its passengers clattered to the floor. Even the Doctor lost his grip on the console and his trainers slipped from underneath and he landed unceremoniously on his bottom with a yelp. Donna crashed down almost in his lap and Martha barely managed to avoid knocking her head on the stool and she fell painfully on her side across from them. She winced as she tried to scramble back to her feet. She gingerly prodded her ribs to assess the damage and flinched, hissing in pain. Her ribs were badly bruised but she was pretty sure they weren’t broken. If they had time she would ideally grab an icepack from the Tardis medical bay but she had a feeling that the Doctor’s curiosity would not allow her the luxury. They were going further than he’d believed was possible so there was no way on Earth or wherever they ended up landing that he would stay inside the Tardis. 

Even she could admit she wanted to find out. It was terrifying, more so than any of their adventures so far, but she had this almost insatiable thirst to learn more about the universe in which she lived. Her travels with the Doctor and Donna had been a dream come true, more than that, it was a dream she’d never even dared to dream; brilliant and impossible at the same time. 

And then the Tardis went still. 

The engines stopped roaring and the room no longer felt like an earthquake underfoot. 

They’d landed.

Martha exchanged a look with Donna and all three of them looked towards the Tardis’s doors. Whatever was outside of the box was probably more dangerous than they’d ever faced before. Martha gulped nervously as she tried to summon all her courage. Donna looked like she might about to be sick. Her face was ashen but she looked as determined as ever. 

“Well…We’ve landed.” The Doctor noted as he looked around the Tardis. Her lights seemed to have dimmed, almost like she was losing power. 

“So what’s out there?” She asked, her voice sounded a lot braver than she felt inside. 

“I don’t know.” The Doctor barely whispered into the eerily silent air. 

Martha raised her eyebrows and looked up at her alien friend in shock. “Say that again. That's rare” She teased trying to lighten the mood but it was no use. 

Whatever had caused the Doctor and Donna to lose control of the Tardis had spooked him. It was as if a cloud had come over his features. 

“Spaceman.” Donna said uncharacteristically quiet.

The Doctor spun round to face Donna and in one swift move his hands were cupping her cheeks and he stared down at her, a burning looked concern in his eyes. “Donna. What’s wrong?”

Donna blinked heavily and shook her head. “I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right. I can’t explain it. Like when you’re watching a horror film and you’re screaming at the characters on the tele, you know they’re walking into a trap, but they never listen. They always go through the door and into the darkness.”

Martha frowned. She knew that feeling too, everyone did. It was what made horror films so frustrating to watch. “Yeah? What about it?”

Donna’s eyes flashed up to meet hers, and for a split second Martha saw something very Doctory in her eyes. “We’re the characters. Out there’s the trap.”

The Doctor nodded. “We should leave. Not even the Time Lords came this far. We should go. We should really, really go.”

The Doctor’s hands were fidgeting by his side and he bounced from one trainer to another. Martha knew his hearts weren’t quite in line with his words. The Time Lord was itching to open the doors and explore. Martha raised an eyebrow at him and his face broke into an excited grin and he ran towards the doors, grabbing his coat on the way. Martha felt a nauseous excitement bubble up in her stomach and she ran after him.

“OI!” Donna yelled after them. The Doctor skidded to a halt and turned back to face her. 

Donna had her arms crossed in front of her and she was glaring at the pair of them like a teacher at a couple of petulant school kids. 

“Oh come on, Donna. It’s brand new out there! You must be curious. The end of the universe. It could the most beautiful thing in all of creation and we’ll never know unless we take a look.” The Doctor gave the redhead a disarming smile.

Donna rolled her eyes and Martha could see she was hiding a smile of her own at his antics. “Just promise me we’ll be safe. No, don’t give me that look!” She raised an eyebrow at the Doctor. “I know what we do is dangerous but tell me you’ll get us home. All of us. You said not even your own people had been this far. Why?”

“The end of time and space and reality. Not even the Time Lords would risk that.” The Doctor admitted but he was still backing towards the door. “Just a peak?”

Donna grinned back, all pretences of responsibility falling away as she got caught up in his excitement. “Oh go on then, Alien Boy. Impress me!”

She ran over to join them and together they pulled the doors open to head out to the end of the universe.

* * *

The Doctor was the first out of the doors, followed by Martha and Donna pulled up the rear. She carefully closed the doors behind her as she stepped out onto the cold dark planet. She shivered as she pulled her jacket closer to her body. The night sky was black, missing the billions of constellations that she would have expected with the lack of light pollution. The Doctor had been right, it really was the end of the universe. It was unnatural and disturbing. It made Donna’s head ache, a dull constant ache at the base of her neck. It was almost as if her brain could sense reality unravelling around them, but that was impossible. She’d probably just knocked it when she’d fallen over in the Tardis. She was always finding new bumps and bruises these days. Time travel wasn’t easy, not even on the good days. 

“Oh my God!” She heard Martha gasped and she turned round just in time to see her launching herself towards the body of a man. He was pale in the darkness and had chocolate brown hair and a long blueish trench coat, not too dissimilar to the Doctor’s brown one. Martha pressed her fingers to the man’s neck frantically. “Can’t get a pulse. Hold on. You've got that medical kit thing.”

She ran back to the Tardis without even looking at the Doctor or Donna. Donna crouched down next to the man, where Martha had just been. He looked familiar but she couldn’t place where she’d seen his face before. She frowned and looked up at the Doctor. He was being eerily quiet about the whole matter. He was normally right there next to Martha trying to analyse the body or work out a way to save them.

But he was just standing there with a dark expression on his face. His hands were tucked into his trouser pockets and he sighed. 

Donna gaped at him. 

“Well do something!” She yelled at him. 

He looked untrustingly at the body. “Donna it’s alright.”

“No, it’s bloody well not alright!” She snapped back. “Doctor, what’s going on? Who is he?”

“It’s complicated.” The Doctor said through gritted teeth.

Donna didn’t get a chance to question the idiot alien any further as Martha came barrelling back out from the Tardis with the Doctor’s medical kit in hand. 

“Here we go. Get out of the way.” She waved the Doctor away and knelt down next to Donna. “It’s a bit odd though. Not very hundred trillion. That coat's more like World War Two.” 

The Doctor finally explained that the dead man was an old friend of his. Although Donna got the feeling there was more to that story than the Time Lord was letting on. Martha seemed satisfied with the answer though. Apparently, according to the Doctor, the man had been clinging onto the side of the Tardis when she’d launched them to the end of the universe. He’d been killed by exposure to the time vortex, or so Donna presumed. She’d wasn’t entirely sure. She didn’t think anyone could spend any time in the vortex without some kind of vessel or transport device. 

What was really strange was how unmoved the Doctor was by the death of his old friend? Martha was trying her best to be a good doctor and break the news to him kindly and he was just staring at the man’s body like it disgusted him. 

She stood up and whacked him on the arm. “Have a little respect, Spaceman.” 

Then she took his hand in hers.

_Oi. Spaceman. What’s wrong? _She added mentally, hoping he would confide in her. 

_Trust me. Just watch. _He replied and squeezed her hand, staring intently down at the brunet on the ground. 

To Donna’s surprise he yelled and he suddenly took in a deep breath, grabbing hold of Martha as he… came back to life? Martha screamed and Donna jumped at grabbed hold of the Doctor’s chest with her other hand. 

_Told you so. _The Doctor teased. 

_Shut it, Alien Boy! _Donna shot back. _Is he alien?_

_No more than you. _The Doctor mused. 

Martha tried to calm the newly revived man, who introduced himself as Captain Jack Harkness. 

Donna frowned. She knew that name. She’d heard the Doctor mention him before but she could have sworn the Doctor had told her he was killed by the Daleks, but clearly he was very much alive and, like so many before him, flirting with Martha Jones. The Doctor seemed to half expect this and he just rolled his eyes at his old friend. 

“Oh don’t start!” He yelled and pulled Donna closer to him. 

_Jealous? _Donna teased.

_You don’t know him. _He grumbled back. 

“And who is this lovely lady?” Jack stood up and winked at Donna. 

She raised an eyebrow at the handsome man and smirked. “Donna. Donna Noble, and very much not single, sweetheart.”

To her surprise Jack laughed and extended his hand towards the Doctor. The Doctor ignored the invitation and kept his free hand in his pocket. Instead, Jack offered the Doctor a salute before noticing the fact that Donna was still holding the Doctor’s other hand. 

“Not single eh? Nice one Doctor.” Jack laughed again before a serious expression came over his face. “But what about Rose? She was on the list of the dead.”

Donna frowned and looked up at the Doctor. She knew he’d loved the younger companion before they had been separated. He’d never said so outright but Donna was good at reading people and the Doctor treated Rose like an ex. He always closed up when he thought about her and changed the subject if he could. There were occasions, very rare and far between, that he would offer up a memory about his former companion. Donna treasured those moments. She knew that being vulnerable was hard for him but he tried, for her, he tried. Still it was hard being compared to a young beautiful blonde that she’d never met, and would never meet. She reached up to the ring around her neck and tried to remind herself of the Doctor’s words from that morning. He wanted to marry her. They were basically engaged to be engaged. She didn’t need to jealous. 

It was just that he didn’t always make it easy not to be.

The Doctor reassured the handsome brunet that Rose was actually alive and living with her family in a parallel world, and the two men celebrated together with a hug. Before the Doctor pulled back and introduced his friends more formally. 

“Jack, this is Doctor Martha Jones.” He indicated to Martha with a proud smile. 

“Almost doctor.” Martha corrected. “I haven’t passed my exams yet. Someone keeps picking me up to travel through time and space instead.”

“Oh Martha Jones, being a doctor isn’t about the exams. It’s what’s in your heart.” The Doctor insisted. 

Martha laughed. “Tell that to my examiners.” 

“And this is my partner in crime.”

“Amongst other things.” Donna interjected with a wink. 

“Donna Noble.” He continued and took hold of her hand. Donna linked their fingers and smiled up at him. He was looking down at her with a dorky smile on his face. The one that made her feel like she was the most beautiful sight in the universe. “Martha, Donna. Meet Captain Jack Harkness, former time agent of the 51st Century.”

“Good to meet you.” Jack said with a dazzling smile. “Any friend of the Doctor’s is a friend of mine.”

“So how come you ended up in Cardiff?” Martha asked curiously as they began to walk away from the Tardis and into the night. 

The four travellers decided they might as well have a look around whilst they were on the dark impossible planet. Jack regaled them all with his story. How apparently the Doctor had left Jack on a space station after battling the Daleks. The battle that had caused the Doctor to regenerate into his current self. Donna was furious with the Time Lord, abandoning his friend like that. Would she or Martha be next? Donna sighed and trotted until she was walking beside the Doctor. She took his hand, still not looking at his face.

_Why did you really leave him? _She asked as they approached a ridge. 

Down below there was a huge city like structure, or a conglomeration as the Doctor called it. He was right. It looked like it had been grown from the rocks itself, like a termite mound or something. It was beautiful. Right at the edge of the the universe and there was still evidence of life. New planets, it was something Donna would never get bored of. 

_It’s complicated. _The Doctor repeated his earlier words. Meanwhile he still managed to talk aloud to the group about the ancient city below them. Donna had never quite managed to get to grips with maintaining two separate conversations. She supposed it would come with practice. 

_Doctor. _She chided. 

_No, really. Jack is complicated. The moment Rose saved him, he became an indescribable event in space and time. I can barely look at him without being hit by a tidal wave of timelines and deaths that are never final. It’s like looking into the sun. Instant headache. _

Donna frowned. She’d had a headache ever since she’d seen Jack. It must have been transferred through the psychic link. If it was bad for her she could only imagine how bad it would be for the Doctor. _You should have told him, Dumbo. _

The Doctor sighed and squeezed her hand. “Yeah.” 

“What?” Jack asked.

But before the Doctor could explain his mistake they noticed a figure running away on the ridge below them. “Is it me, or does that look like a hunt? Come on!” The Doctor launched off towards the humanoid who was running for their life, pulling Donna behind him. Her arm ached as he nearly pulled it right out of its socket. 

“Oi!” She yelled as her legs finally caught up to what was going on and she ran along side him. 

“We’ve got to help him!” The Doctor yelled back.

To her surprise, Jack was laughing behind them as he and Martha sprinted after them. “Oh I’ve missed this!” He shouted with a laugh. 

They managed to stop the hunters, some other savage form of humanoid from killing the human they had been chasing as Jack let out a gunshot into the sky, but the hunters cut off their exit back to the Tardis. Donna felt a low mental cry from the ship as they ran off towards the Silo instead. Donna winced as she agreed to follow the Doctor and the others to the Silo, really they didn’t have much choice but something about it felt wrong. 

That feeling of walking into a trap came back stronger than before but it was this or be eaten by the strange savage humans. 

So a trap it was. She just hoped the Doctor would be able to get them out of it in time.

* * *

The Doctor pulled on his glasses as he looked over the equipment that Professor Yana, a kindly old scientist who was in charge of the Silo, had put together to try and make the rocket launch. He ran his fingers though his hair and let out a sigh. He’d never seen a system like it in all his years, and quite frankly that was impressive, or stupid. He hoped it was the former. 

Donna and Martha were talking to Chantho in the corner of the room and Jack was watching him from across one of the machines. The Doctor tried not to wince as his temples burned as he caught Jack’s eyes. 

“What do you think, Doctor? Any ideas?” Professor Yana asked.

He paused and wracked his brain for a suitable answer. This was usually the point where he would take control of the room and say something quite brilliant but he couldn’t think of anything which was quite frankly embarrassing. He was the last of the Time Lords. He’d stolen a Type 40 Tardis from underneath the noses of the Time Lords and managed to keep it running for all of his lives so far, which was no mean feat especially considering the lack of Tardis parts now in circulation. It was hard to find good circuits for his unique ship, even on Calibris. 

But he was coming up blank.

Not even his trusted sonic screwdriver could get him out of this one. Not yet. His brain was still processing all the different parts and machinery. He just needed to think!

But he couldn’t think fast enough. Maybe if he could keep the Professor chatting until he could come up with a solution then he’d be able to fix this. 

“Well, er, basically, sort of, not a clue.” He stammered like an idiot. So much for keeping his cool. 

“Ooh say that again.” Donna teased from the corner. 

Martha laughed. “That’s twice in one day Doctor. Are you feeling alright?”

“Oi!” He snapped. “It’s the end of the universe. I’m allowed not to know everything.”

Jack laughed. “Getting a bit defensive there, Doctor?”

He pouted. “Not defensive. I just know when to say I don’t know. Alright?” 

Professor Yana sighed loudly. “No, no. I'm sorry. It's my fault. There's been so little help. I just thought…”

“I’m not from round these parts.” He tried to explain. 

Maybe if he could reverse the polarity?

No. That wouldn’t work. What if there was something wrong with the gravitissimal accelerator? Not allowing the rocket to escape the planet’s gravitational pull….

_Spaceman? _Donna’s hand cupped his cheek. 

_Hello. _He grinned down at her. _Fancy seeing you here._

“Tart.” She teased aloud. _Can’t we do anything to help them? It’s humanity’s last hope. We’ve got to try. _

_I know. I’m working on it. _He promised her and covered her hand with his then brought it to his lips. _But if I can’t then as soon as we get the Tardis back, we’re leaving. _

“No.” Donna shook her head and glared fiercely up at him. “No. We can’t just leave them. We save them. We’ll find a way. We always do.”

“Donna.” He groaned and brushed his fingers along her cheek. _It might not be possible. _

_You make it possible. Find a way. _She insisted firmly. 

A loud thud interrupted their conversation and they both turned to see what had made the noise. Martha was looking through Jack’s rucksack in the corner in the room. What had possessed her to do so, he had no idea, but he was glad she had. 

“Oh, my God. You've got a hand? A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in your bag.” Martha yelled as she placed the bubbling jar on the table. 

He grinned and ran over to greet his old limb. “That's my hand!” He exclaimed.

“You what?!” Donna shrieked and took a step back from him with a wide-eyed expression. “You forgot to mention this in Time Lord 101. So no tentacles but you do keep hands in a jar.” She muttered sarcastically. 

“It’s not like that.” He explained before whipping round to face Jack with a puzzled expression on his face. “How did you get my hand?” 

Jack shrugged. “Well, I told you I had a Doctor detector. Tentacles?” He asked Donna with an amused expression, she just shrugged in reply with a knowing smile and the Doctor gave an exasperated sigh. 

“Hang on. How do you mean that’s your hand? It can’t be! You've got both your hands, I can see them!” Martha stared in shock at the jar. 

“Long story. I lost my hand, Christmas Day, in a sword fight.” He ran his fingers through his hair. At least everyone was suitably distracted from the rocket ship but did it have to be such a personal distraction. 

Donna grabbed his right hand, the one that had grown to replace the old one and stared at it. _Is this what you do? Just lob bits off and grow new ones._

He squeezed her hand and shared the memory of the Sycorax with her. _It’s the regeneration energy. I was still settling. My cells were still in flux._

_So you just grew a hand. _Donna said in disbelief. 

He laughed at how hard she was working to try and accept this new knowledge and leant down to kiss her. _Yes, Bella Donna. It’s alright I promise._

Of course, having explained that all through the psychic link he had to go through the same process with Martha who seemed to be stuck in a bit of a loop. Professor Yana seemed to be the only human not completely disturbed by the idea, well, apart from Jack but he didn’t quite count as human anymore. He had everything that Lazarus wanted and without the giant scorpion alter ego. 

Well…

As far as they were aware at any rate. 

Professor Yana explained about the Futurekind, some off-shoot evolution of the humans that appeared to rely on primitive instincts. They were threatening the human’s way of existence as they believed the humans to be their food source, and so the humans had thought up a way to escape. They were going to Utopia, a science project that would theoretically see humans manage to colonise beyond the end of reality itself. It was brilliant. Impossible and brilliant. Of course, he was sure there was nothing waiting for anyone once time and space had collapsed and the universe itself ceased to exist but these humans still had hope. 

They always had hope. 

It was awe inspiring. Such tiny minds, after trillions of years of evolution and yet they still shone out like a beacon. 

Donna was right. He had to help them. Even if it didn’t work he had to try. Professor Yana was obviously distracted by something, perhaps he was ill. Some form of brain tumour maybe. He thought about scanning the Professor’s brain with his sonic but remembered his current priority was getting the rocket ship to sail and then getting his three friends off this planet and back home to the 21st century. His brain whizzed round like the inner circuits of the Tardis, mentally sifting through every text book he’d ever read, every manual or article on engines. 

Wait.

The circuits.

If he could just manipulate the boost reversal circuit to override whatever it was that was stopping the patterns from harmonising properly and they would be able to achieve escape velocity. 

Oh yes!

He was good. 

“Well, it's better to let them live in hope.” Professor Yana sighed, answering the Doctor’s questions about the footprint mechanism as he built up the drama for his big reveal. Perhaps he’d been a Thespian in a previous life before he’d been born as a Time Lord. He had always enjoyed the dramatics.

“Quite right, too. And I must say, Professor er, what was it?” He feigned not knowing the Professor’s name. It was rude of him but it would make him seem more scatterbrained which would give more impact for his reveal. 

“Yana” The old man replied. 

“Professor Yana. This new science is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost.” He grinned as he waved a circuit in front of the Professor’s face. Professor Yana nodded. The Doctor caught Donna’s eye and flashed her a cheeky smile. She raised both eyebrows at him and pursed her lips, a habit she had for when he spoke too much science ‘mumbo jumbo’ as she called it. “So, I wonder, what would happen if I did…” He grabbed the circuit that fed into the rocket’s engine and aimed his screwdriver carefully. He pressed down on the button and instantly the cables sparked under the blue light and then he pulled the lever. “…this?”

The room burst into life as power surged and alarms started to ring. He grinned and winked at Donna who whacked his arm gently. 

_“_Show off.” She muttered sarcastically, quiet enough that only he could hear. 

“Oh yes.” He murmured back. 

“Chan it's working tho!” Chantho exclaimed excitedly. 

Both her and the Professor looked around the room in shock as the rocket ship began to launch its preparation systems. She was completely fascinated by the sudden lease of life the Doctor had brought to the ship but what the he really loved about the blue alien was her kindness. It was very rare to find a heart as pure as hers. He wondered if all her species were like that or whether it was a by product of being the last of Malmooth. He decided he would take Donna and Martha to visit the species when they were not at the end of the universe once they left here. Donna loved learning about the different cultures and Martha always found it interesting to see how different species evolved and survived all across the universe. The Doctor smiled at the thought. Doctor Martha Jones, a doctor to all alien species across the whole of time and space. He could bet none of her fellow students would have half the experience as she would by the time she completed her exams. 

“But how did you do that?” Professor Yana asked, dumbstruck by his brilliance. 

The Doctor couldn’t resist a chance to show off, it was probably one of his greatest weaknesses. “Oh, we've been chatting away, I forgot to tell you. I'm brilliant.” He grinned brightly and then wince as Donna jabbed him in the side and then patted his arm. “Ow!”

“Oi! Stop it.” She rolled her eyes at him.

_You love it. _He teased her gently. 

_In your dreams, Time Boy. _She shot back as she kissed his cheek. 

He grinned down at her with a dopey smile, wondering how he’d ever gotten so lucky as to meet Donna Noble. 

* * *

Donna wandered through the corridors of the Silo with Martha and Chantho. She found she was quite fond of their new alien friend. She was cute and kind and there was a spark of mischief behind the Malmooth’s eyes that Donna found to be quite endearing. Around them refugees were gathering up their belongings and making their way towards the ship. The Professor had asked them all to make sure the passengers were moving and to pass out any last minute supplies. Donna had wanted to stay with the Doctor but her headache had only gotten worse once they’d all bustled into Professor Yana’s lab so she thought she should probably take the opportunity to get the some distance from the Doctor and his Jack induced headaches. 

The strange drumming sounds she'd heard in the lab probably hadn’t helped either but that was gone now. They passed through hundreds of passengers all making their way towards the rocket ship. Donna was having a hard time believing that they would all fit on the ship. Surely they would need twice as many supplies as they had in order to make it to Utopia, if such a place even existed. 

“So how’s life with the Doctor?” Martha asked quietly as the handed out packets of dehydrated food to some of the passengers. 

Donna gave her friend an exasperated look but smiled fondly. The end of reality and Martha Jones was still ready for a good old gossip. She considered telling her friend about the explosive conversation they’d had at breakfast but now wasn’t really the right time. They were stuck at the end of the universe whilst something nefarious was happening back in the 21st century. She’d save that little titbit until they could catch up properly over a cup of tea and a biscuit back in the Tardis. “Oh you know.” She teased. “Infuriating, dazzling, beyond anything I could ever imagine.”

Martha laughed. “Nothing changes then.”

Donna shook her head. “That’s the strange thing. Nothing changed. Not really. We talked about it, and then we just carried on. The Doctor and Donna. I was always gonna be with him forever even as friends.” 

“Chan but you are lovers, tho” Chantho asked. 

“He’s the love of my life. He really is. Blimey I don’t know when I fell for him so hard but… well I guess he’s always been a charmer, daft Martian.” Donna sighed fondly as she thought of his bright smile and the way his hair stuck out everywhere first thing in the morning. “Don’t tell him I said all this though.” She added. “You know what he’s like.”

“Ego the size of the nearest galaxy?” Martha asked with a laugh, repeating the words Donna had said all too often. 

“More than that, considering the galaxies are all collapsing.” Donna mused. “Ego the size of the universe.”

“Chan I do not understand you tho.” Chantho shook her head as she passed a parcel to a nearby passenger who thanked her. 

“Why’s that?” Donna asked with a tilt of her head. 

“Chan you love him, but you say such mean things tho.” Chantho frowned. 

Donna opened her mouth but no words came out. She’d never even thought about how their relationship looked to other people. They had always bickered. From the moment she’d appeared in the Tardis they had challenged each other’s perspectives of the world and through that they’d grown and learned together. For the pair of them it was natural as breathing. She trusted him with her life and adored him with every cell in her human body and he loved her in return and showed her the most incredible things. 

“Oh that’s just them. Honestly it’s more worrying when they are nice to each other.” Martha tried to explain. “I think it’s a human thing. When you feel comfortable to say what’s on your mind. That’s when you know you can really trust someone.” 

“Chan human traditions are strange tho.” Chantho sighed. 

“Yeah well, we’ve been travelling around a lot and trust me you’ve not seen the half of it.” Donna snapped as she remembered how on some planets civilians were slaughtered for sport, or war was treated like some glamorous game. 

Chantho shrank back slightly. “Chan I did not mean to offend you tho.” 

Martha stepped between Donna and their new alien friend, giving Donna a firm look. Donna sighed. She hadn’t meant to upset Chantho. She was just on edge and she’d already had to defend her relationship to her mother. Maybe, just maybe, she was a little sensitive about it and she’d always been one to snap too easily. She crossed her arms and grumbled an apology. 

They walked in a tense silence back to lab and the Doctor. Donna could feel the buzz of his excitement even from a distance and rolled her eyes. He was worse than a kid in a sweet shop when it came to the science stuff. She barely understood a word of it but she loved the way his eyes lit up when he saw something new. She adored the way he thought everything could be beautiful, even if it did happen to be trying to kill them, which happened far too much in her opinion. As they drew closer to the lab Donna’s headache returned. It was like something was digging into her temple and she could hear the whispers of the drums once more. 

She winced as they reached the door. 

“You alright?” Martha asked. 

“Yeah.” Donna lied. “Just a headache.”

Martha patted down her pockets. “Here.” She said as she handed over a small pack of paracetamol. “Always keep some on me, for emergencies.”

Donna smiled weakly as she took the packet. “Thanks.” 

* * *

Donna was watching Professor Yana intently. Ever since they’d returned to the lab he’d been acting odd. The drums had been louder and for some reason Donna was sure it was coming from him. He’d been even more distracted as the Doctor and Jack tried to fix the coupling things in the radiation filled chamber under the ship. She listened halfheartedly as the Doctor explained why he left Jack behind and she made a mental note to berate the Doctor again about abandoning his friend without so much of an explanation. It sounded like the man had been through hell and back just to try and find the Time Lord again. Donna suspected that not all Jack’s deaths had been accidental. There was just something in the way he spoke that tugged at her heartstrings. 

She was in love with a moron.

A genius Time Lord from another world… but a complete and utter idiot. 

She placed a hand on her temples and rubbed as pain shot through her mind. There was something very wrong here. Why couldn’t anyone else see it? Why wasn’t the noise giving Martha a headache, or Chantho? The Doctor was probably too preoccupied with Jack and his messed up time lines to see past it. She felt a bubble of concern from the Doctor through the psychic link. He must have felt her headache getting worse. She tried to send back some reassurance but it wasn’t easy from a distance and she wasn’t as practiced as he was at the whole telepathy thing. 

_That's a Tardis. Time travel. That's a Tardis. That's a Tardis. _

Donna started. That was Martha’s voice. She looked over at her friend but she was just focussed on the screen in front of her, listening to Jack and the Doctor. Donna looked back to Professor Yana. He was gazing at the Tardis as if it was some kind of ghost. 

“Professor?” She asked and put a hand on his arm but he barely registered she was there. There were tears rolling down his cheek and he looked as pale as a sheet of paper. “Professor?” She shook his arm gently and his eyes snapped up to meet hers. 

“Time Travel…” He wheezed between gasps for air. It was like he was having some form of panic attack.

“This new regeneration, it's kind of cheeky.” Jack said through the speakers.

Donna winced as pain shot through her temples.

_Regeneration. Regeneration. _

That was Jack’s voice. Why was she getting a mental echo of her friends’ voices? Was it the effects of time unravelling? Something affecting the psychic link she shared with the Doctor?

“Chan regeneration tho?” Chantho asked Martha. 

Martha looked like she was about to explain but Donna interrupted. Professor Yana needed help and Martha was the closest thing she had to a doctor right now. “Martha!” She called. “The Professor!”

“What’s wrong?” Martha asked rushing to Donna’s side and grasping the Professor’s arm.

“They say there was time travel back in the old days. I never believed. But what would I know? Stupid old man. Never could keep time. Always late, always lost. Even this thing never worked.” The Professor said pulling an old fob watch from his waist coat pocket. 

Donna covered her mouth with her hand to conceal a gasp. 

A fob watch.

Just like John Noble had as a human. Broken and unimportant.

“Martha.” She hissed. No wonder she been hearing things. She’d been able to hear the Doctor’s voice whenever she touched his fob watch, or whenever Timmy Latimer had opened it. The Professor’s Time Lord consciousness must be screaming out to the human to open it. 

“Time and time and time again. Always running out on me.” Yana continued, not noticing the two women’s distraction.

“Can I have a look at that?” Asked Martha as she looked cautiously at Donna. 

Donna couldn’t hear Martha’s thoughts but she could bet that right now they were thinking exactly the same thing. If this human was actually a Time Lord then the Doctor wasn’t the last of his kind. There could even be others. More in hiding scattered through time and space. 

“I need to find the Doctor.” Donna said hurriedly and ran out the room.

“Donna!” Martha called after her. 

“You’ll be fine without me. I need to find him!” She ran faster than she had in a long time without any murderous creatures on her tail.

“T minus ninety nine, ninety eight” The countdown started to echo through the ship. 

Jack and the Doctor had been successful in their mission then. She sprinted through the corridors of the Silo until she barrelled straight into the Doctor gasping for breath.

“Donna!” He cried as he caught her in his arms. He patted her down to make sure she wasn’t injured but she swatted him away. 

“I’m alright, Spaceman.” She reassured him.

“Molto Bene!” He grinned happily. “Oh and we’re nearly there. The footprint, it's a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive. It'll take the both of us to keep it stable.” 

Science babble. 

It was always the science babble. He knew she didn’t understand it. She gave him a look and crossed her arms waiting for him to finish his explanation. He barely noticed as he carried on flicking switches frantically, behind him Jack was doing the same. Honest boys and their toys. Give them a rocket ship and they’d be entertained for days. 

“And you didn’t come running down here for a progress report did you?” He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. 

“No.” She shook her head with a grin. “It’s the Professor.”

“Professor Yana?” He asked with a frown. 

Donna nodded and reached up to stroke his sideburns, temple connection was the strongest point for their psychic link and with her pounding headache she didn’t want to miss a thing. She closed her eyes and shared the memory of the watch with him, the words that had echoed in her mind. 

“Hey lovebirds, care to share?” Jack asked. 

Donna opened her eyes and grinned at the immortal. “No time. You’ve got a rocket to launch. Vite vite!” She clapped her hands for added effect. 

“He can’t be.” The Doctor whispered. “They’re all gone.”

“Maybe not.” Donna argued. “I know what I saw, Time Boy.

The alarms started blaring and the Doctor yelled out in frustration, running his hands through his hair and then flinging his body at the other wall of switches. Adjusting the setting almost manically. 

“Jack, keep it level!” He snapped. 

“But, Spaceman, this is a good thing. You might not be the last one.” Donna said softly putting her hand on his arm, slowing his movements. If he kept going at the speed he was then he was likely to make a mistake. 

“A good thing. Yeah.” He muttered distractedly pulling away from her. “Brilliant. Maybe. Depends which one but they’re gone. Donna. They’re all gone! They died. All of them died.” He looked like he was one breath away from crumpling onto the floor and Donna wished they could run back to the Tardis together and deal with the revelation in peace, but universe never gave them a break. If they didn’t manage to keep the levels stable then the rocket would never launch properly and the whole Silo would explode. 

Jack looked between the two of them, trying to catch up with the conversation he had missed. “The Professor’s a Time Lord?” He asked. 

“Yes!” Donna replied 

“No.” The Doctor snapped at the same time. 

“Yes.” Donna insisted. “but he doesn’t know it yet.”

“No.” The Doctor replied pushing past her to get to the next circuit board. 

Donna grabbed his hand tightly. _You are not alone. _She reminded him. 

He stopped still. 

_Donna. _She heard him weakly in her mind. 

_Spaceman? _She tilted her head and squeezed his hand. 

She gasped as YANA was flashed in front of her eyes. The Doctor’s memory of the screen but he was remembering it one letter at a time, like an acronym.

You. Are. Not. Alone.

YANA.

Professor Yana!

“Oh my god!” She yelled making both men jump. 

“Doctor?” Jack asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Just something an old friend said.” He muttered darkly. 

The countdown reached zero and the Silo shook, hopefully from the launch of the rocket ship and the Doctor snapped out of his thoughts to grab the telephone. He snapped down at the commander of the rocket and managed to confirm that they had launched safely. 

Donna let out a sigh of relief. They had done it. Utopia may not exist but they had given the last of humanity their best chance at surviving. She would always be proud of that. Not that she’d done much to help. Mostly it had been the Doctor and Jack being all Stephen Hawking and Wolverine but she liked to think that the Doctor needed her and Martha to keep him on track.

“Doctor!” Martha cried as she flew around the corner. “The Professor.”

The Doctor dropped the receiver and spun round to face Martha grabbing her by the arms and looking her up and down with an intensity that he usually reserved for when things were going very very wrong.

“The watch. I know. Donna said he had a watch.” The Doctor spoke quickly without giving himself a chance to breathe. 

“No she didn’t?” Jack questioned. “What watch?”

“He opened it. Doctor. He’s like you. A Time Lord.” Martha cried. “You’re not the last one!”

“No no no.” The Doctor span around with his hands buried deep in his hair. “We have to get to the Tardis!”

He ran back in the direction where Martha had come from, back towards the laboratory. Donna, Martha and Jack all ran after him but they were all too late. The door to the control room slammed shut. The Doctor tried to sonic the controls but it was no use. 

They were locked in.

* * *

The door wheezed open under the persistent whining of the sonic screwdriver and Jack’s determined endless input of codes on the door panel but it was a close call. Martha gasped as they all fell forward through the door and ran. A siren was wailing loudly up above signalling something had gone very wrong. 

“No no no!” The Doctor yelled as he flew off down the corridor, his long coat flying out behind him. 

Martha did what she always did in these situations and ran. It was better to run first and ask questions later. The Doctor ran a lot but in reality he preferred to amble and examine his surroundings, taking in everything the universe had to offer. 

She’d made the mistake once of letting him take her to an old museum planet far into her future. The museum was so large that there were actually hotel suites in each of the different zones of the planet, a bit like the themed hotels in Disneyland. They’d booked out a couple of rooms in the marine life zone of the museum. Her room had had an entire aquarium built into one of the walls and a litany of whale facts written in bubble writing on the other walls. Her bed had been a water bed and sunk into the floor. All in all it had been a lot of fun. The Doctor’s room had been pirate themed and he’d been wittering on about Long John Silver for days after and used any excuse to try and sword fight with any aliens they’d come up against. Apparently he’d once had a sword fight whilst eating a sandwich. Martha thought that if all his sword fights were like that then no wonder he lost his hand after he regenerated. They’d spent days in the museum looking around all the different exhibits until they’d run into a little bit of trouble in the palaeontology section where someone had been animating the dinosaur skeletons in order to scare away visitors from some ancient cursed artefact and then they’d been back to the running.

It never seemed to stopped and if Jack’s reaction to the running was anything to go by then it wasn’t a new thing either. She screamed as they ran headfirst into a horde of Futurekind. That explained the alarms. The launch of the rocket ship must have fried the security systems and let the vicious humanoids into the Silo. 

“This way!!” The Doctor yelled and spun round on his heels faster than it took Martha to even realise what was going on. 

“Have you got a plan?” Donna shouted as they sprinted through the corridors, trying to find an alternative route back to the laboratory and the Tardis. 

“Yes! Well. Half a plan. Well. a bit of a plan.” The Doctor paused. “I’m working on it!”

“Oh he’s working on it.” Donna muttered sarcastically. “I thought you were supposed to be a genius!”

“Oi!” The Doctor yelled back. “Through here! Come on!”

He veered left and the three of them scrambled to keep up. “What are we trying to do, Doctor?” Jack asked. 

But there was no time for questions. They ran straight into the door of the laboratory, like the control room it had been locked. Martha glanced behind her worriedly. Why was the Professor locking them out? That made no sense. Unless he had lost control of the systems when the rocket launched. 

“Professor!” The Doctor yelled as he slammed his hand against the door, knocking loudly. “Professor! Let me in! Let me in! Jack, get the door open now!” 

Jack threw himself at the control panel and desperately tried to spring the lock. The Doctor grabbed his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and scanned the door, bathing it in blue light. 

“Oh my god, we’re gonna die.” Donna moaned. “Stranded at the end of the universe.”

“Professor! Professor, where are you?! Professor! Professor, are you there? Please, I need to explain.” The Doctor screamed desperately. 

Martha grabbed Donna’s arm. “We’re not going to die. We’ve done this before.”

“I’m gonna kill him.” She grumbled. “We could have at least died somewhere beautiful, looking at one of those nebula things.” Donna sighed. “Not stuck in a metal cage about to be eaten by future humans.”

“Yeah, that’s not helping, Red.” Jack yelled.

“They’re coming!” Martha shrieked as the noise of the Futurekind got louder. She could hear the sound of their screams coming round the corner and the thunder of their footsteps.

“Professor! Open the door, please! I'm begging you, Professor. Please, listen to me.” The Doctor begged. 

It was strange, Martha thought. She’d rarely seen him so desperate, so out of control. Even facing his own death the Doctor was normally calm in the face of his enemies, like he had this big old secret that they didn’t know and he knew he could always win. This was different. He was practically falling apart and the Futurekind were almost upon them. Martha was starting to wonder if this was really it. Was Donna right? Was this the adventure that would kill them all? Was this their Battle of Canary Wharf? 

She heard the sound of a laser gun being fired and someone cried out in pain, the Professor most likely. The cry sounded male. Jack yelled a scream of frustration and slammed the grip of his gun into the lock panel. It sparked and miraculously the door flew open. The Doctor wasted no time and ran into the centre of the room. 

The Professor was standing clinging onto the door of the Tardis. He wasn’t dead. The older man slipped inside of the blue box and the Doctor yelled as he ran towards his ship. Martha glanced around and saw Chantho lying on the floor holding a pistol in her hand. She ran to Chantho’s side. There was no sign of her breathing but it was hard to check for a pulse. She didn’t exactly know what she was looking for in a Malmooth. She tried the side of her neck, Chantho was still humanoid enough, nothing. She tried the wrist, still nothing. She pressed her ear against the alien’s chest, no sign of a heartbeat. 

“Let me in. Let me in!” The Doctor smashed his fists against the doors of his Tardis. 

“She’s dead.” Martha confirmed aloud. Donna looked down at the body of their friend sadly. 

“She tried to stop him.” She said. “Spaceman, who is that man?”

The Doctor didn’t answer. The muscles in his jaw clenched and he scowled darkly at the Tardis door. 

“I broke the lock! Give me a hand!” Jack groaned as he tried to keep the door shut before the Futurekind could break in. 

Martha looked up and saw Jack struggling. She caught Donna’s eye and both of them ran over to help hold back the door. Between the three of them they were able to hold the door shut. It would have been easier if the Doctor was helping but he was transfixed by the Time Lord who was currently trying to steal their lift home.

“I'm begging you. Everything's changed! It's only the two of us! We're the only ones left! Just let me in!” The Doctor rested his forehead against the door of the Tardis and then took a step back. 

For the first time Martha really noticed the weight he carried on his shoulders. She’d known he was the last of his species. He’d told her that before but he’d always moved on so quickly from talking about it that she’d never realised. Some friend she’d been. He suddenly looked so… small. She’d never seen that in him before. 

“I’m sorry.” Donna whispered in her ear before letting go of the door and running to the Doctor’s side. 

The door shifted almost as soon as she let go. Martha and Jack both cried out as they strained to keep the door shut but she understood why Donna had let go. The Doctor was falling apart. He needed her. He was always better when she was by his side. 

“Killed by an insect. A girl. How inappropriate” The Professor’s voice said from inside the Tardis. Martha almost laughed. Chantho had adored the Professor, she was willing to sacrifice Utopia for the Professor and now this demon of a man was humiliating her, demeaning every second she had spent by his side. 

“Oi!” Donna spat. “You aren’t worth half of her. You dirty old bastard!” 

The Professor laughed bitterly. “Old bastard? Yes I suppose you’re right.”

“Too right I am!” Donna growled as she gripped onto the Doctor’s arm. 

“Still, if the Doctor can be young and strong, then so can I. The Master reborn.” He cried out in victory and then the windows of the Tardis burned with a golden glow. 

The Doctor shielded his eyes from the light and Donna buried her face in his chest. Martha stared in wonder. Was this what the regeneration was like? The Doctor had explained it to her after they’d seen Lazarus but it was different when she was actually experiencing it. The Professor, no… wait… what did he call himself? The Master was screaming inside the Tardis. The Doctor had explained that it felt like all the cells in his body were being torn apart and rebuild as they body changed. Clearly the Time Lords had some control over their new face, The Master said he wanted to be younger like he could make that happen. 

There was a savage cry of the Futurekind as they slammed up against the door. Their hands trying to force through the space in between the door and the frame. 

“Doctor! You'd better think of something!” Jack shouted across at the Time Lord but he didn’t move an inch. Donna was gripping his hand tightly but neither of them spoke.

The Master laughed manically from inside the Tardis. “Now then, Doctor.” A new, but oddly familiar voice said. “Ooh, new voice. Hello, hello.” He repeated the word in different pitches. It sounded like he was doing some kind of warm up at the start of a play or something. “Hello! Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me, I don't think!”

“Hold on. I know that voice” Martha yelled. It was so familiar. Why couldn’t she work out where she knew it from? It like one of those radio games where you had to guess the voice from a short clip but she was just sure she’d heard it before. 

Donna turned to look at her with a puzzled look. “You know him?”

Martha closed her eyes and tried to think but she couldn’t focus properly. Not when the Futurekind was fighting against her and Jack to get the door open. “I dunno. Maybe?” She screamed as a hand almost managed to grab her through the door.

“I'm asking you really properly. Just stop. Just think!” The Doctor pleaded with the other Time Lord inside the time machine. 

There was pause. The silence between the two Time Lords was almost deafening. 

“Use my name.” The Master said sinisterly. 

“Spaceman, don’t.” Donna pleaded, almost too quietly for Martha to hear over the screams of the Futurekind. 

“Master.” The Doctor breathed obediently. Martha closed her eyes. She never heard him sound so defeated before. “I’m sorry.” He continued.

“Tough!” The Master yelled without an ounce of empathy or friendship towards the Doctor. 

Martha was very quickly realising that Time Lords weren’t super heroes or protectors of the universe. She’d seen the Doctor do some incredible things in order to save civilisations and lives. She inhaled sharply as she came to the sudden epiphany of what his strength and intelligence could do in the hands of someone less kind, someone like the Master. If the Doctor wanted to destroy civilisations he could in a heartbeat. The Earth could be under his control with just a snap of his fingers.

“Oh my God….” She whispered to herself and then let out a shriek as her foot slid and the door shifted under her weight. It was no use. They weren’t going to hold them off. 

“I can't hold out much longer, Doctor!” Jack yelled trying to get the Time Lord’s attention. 

Martha saw Donna nod in response to something the Doctor had said to her and she let go of his hand. “Move over Muscles!” Donna said and helped to push against the force of the Futurekind. “You’re getting weak in your old age.” She teased. 

“Hey now!” Jack countered. “I’m still younger than lover boy over there.” 

“Would you two just be quiet?” Martha shrieked. 

The Doctor held up his sonic screwdriver as the Tardis engines began to wheeze. The sonic whirred underneath the Doctor’s thumb. The noise was comforting amongst the chaos that was going on around them. The sonic had gotten them out of a lot of tight spots in the past. She just had to hope. She had to believe in him. 

“Oh, no you don't! End of the universe. Have fun. Bye, bye!” The Master yelled manically from inside the Tardis and then the old blue box began to disappear. 

Martha’s heart sunk.

They were stuck at the end of the universe.

No Tardis.

No way home.

“No!!” She cried. “Doctor stop him!”

Even with Donna’s help the Futurekind began to overwhelm them. Martha screamed as she saw the sharp teeth grin as their leader managed to get his head around the door. 

The Doctor just stared at space where the Tardis had been, breathing heavily. 

“Doctor!” Martha yelled. “They're getting in!”

The Futurekind snarled loudly in her ear and she screamed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy! We are really rushing towards the end of this now. Big news! I finished the draft! So no matter what happens this story will be completed in the couple of weeks! :D Wow! I've been writing this one for ages. It's by far the longest thing I have ever written so I am so so grateful for all the lovely comments, all the art or mood boards for this fic and my other TenDonna ones. So thank you all so much! 
> 
> I forgot to say last chapter was totally dedicated to Verin2000 because they did some truly amazing fan art from Chapter 14!! Honestly... wow. I was gobsmacked. Like ahhh. One way to kill your author. 
> 
> And this chapter is dedicated to Wren Truesong because omg their comments are ridiculously amazing every damn time. Like seriously you guys I cannot even. 
> 
> This fandom has been the kindest most wonderful. <3 
> 
> AND enough of me being soppy. Heads up there will be some serious angst in the next few chapters but it all ends on a high note so please trust me! I hope you liked this chapter and the story as a whole. Let me know what you thought! (Sorry it's a day late) 
> 
> \- Yaz


	17. The Sound of Drums

“Jack! Give me your hand!” The Doctor yelled as he lunged for Jack’s wrist with the sonic screwdriver already glowing blue and whirring in his fingers. 

“Why Doctor, I thought you’d never ask!” Jack quipped and then grunted under the strain of the Futurekind pushing against the door. 

“Oh stop it!” The Doctor snapped wondering, not for the first time, why he ever travelled with the man. He really was incorrigible. There was a time and a place for flirting and the end of the universe was not one of them. Unless it involved a very very specific ginger human. “Wrist now!” He tried to grab hold of the vortex manipulator that was around Jack’s wrist but the man kept moving as he tried to hold the door shut.

“I can’t let go!” Jack protested.

“Oh for god’s sake! Just give him your wrist!” Donna snapped as her feet slipped underneath her. Martha grabbed her waist and then Donna rammed her weight up against the door again. 

“Aye aye, Ma’am!” Jack barked a laugh and managed to shift his weight so that he could let go of the door with one hand. The Doctor aimed the sonic at the vortex manipulator, adjusting the settings so he could fix the inner workings of the primitive device. He wrinkled his nose as he smelt the temporal energy leaking from the manipulator. It was a miracle Jack hadn’t accidentally fried himself and potentially the whole of Cardiff trying to fix it. “Doctor! There’s no point. It’s broken!” Jack yelled in his ear but he didn’t flinch. He was too busy trying to save his friends and potentially the whole space time continuum. Tardis knows what the Master had planned but he could guarantee that it wouldn’t be good. 

“Hold still! Don't move! Hold it still!” The Doctor shouted as Jack was thrown about by the thrashing of the Futurekind behind the door. 

“I'm telling you, it's broken. It hasn't worked for years.” Jack insisted.

The Doctor resisted rolling his eyes at the former time agent. Did he really think that a Time Lord wouldn’t be able to fix such a simple device? Ha! Time Lords had mastered the time vortex. They were called Time Lords for a reason after all. “That's because you didn't have me!” He snapped as he felt the temporal energy suck back into place. He grimaced. Time travel without a capsule was nasty but without the Tardis there wasn’t much he could do about it. 

“Oi!” Donna snapped. “Don’t get all high and mighty mister!” 

The Doctor’s eyes shifted to where Donna was glaring up at him. He gave her a sheepish smile but didn’t apologise, there was no time for that. “Alright then! Everyone hold on tight!” He yelled. Martha and Donna dutifully obeyed but it felt a flurry of annoyance from the ginger as their hands touched. Once everyone was touching the vortex manipulator he activated it and felt a nasty yet familiar tug in his gut and the laboratory snapped out of view. 

* * *

Donna gasped for breath as the ground reappeared beneath her feet and she stumbled onto the tarmac. The Doctor’s arms were around her waist to steady her instantly but she could feel his own nausea mixed in with hers. She was reminded of the gut-wrenching feeling that she felt when the Angel had touched her back in the old house. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to swallow the taste of bile in her mouth. 

_You alright? _The Doctor asked gently, his brown eyes gazing down at her in concern. He was contorting his back and he looked like he was in pain. She supposed the vortex manipulator must have affected him even more than the rest of them, his Time Lord senses would have been more finely tuned to the time vortex.

“I’m always alright.” She mumbled. _Might need some of that Gustarian_ _mouthwash though. _

“Ow! My head.” Martha complained.

“Time travel without a capsule. That's a killer.” The Doctor agreed as he ran his hands through his hair. 

Jack laughed and cracked his neck. “Amateurs!” 

“Shut it Captain Sparrow.” Donna groaned. 

“It’s cheap knock off time travel. If anyone is the amateur here…” The Doctor argued but Martha interrupted him.

“Oh cut it out will you. I thought I was getting away from childish squabbling.” 

“Martha Jones! The brains of this operation.” Donna laughed as she linked arms with her friend. “Why am I with you again, Alien Boy?” 

The Doctor frowned and he scratched the back of his neck. “Because you love me?” He asked hopefully and Donna just had to laugh. “Although I can’t for all my lives figure out why.”

Donna patted his cheek. “Neither can I, Spaceman. Neither can I.” 

“I can think of a few reasons.” Jack suggested cheekily and Donna swatted his arm. 

“Watch it, Kirk!” She snapped at him. 

“So when are we do you reckon?” Martha asked as she looked around. 

It looked like Earth but then again it was remarkable how many planets looked like an old Earth quarry or forest. The Doctor opened his mouth to answer her question but Jack got there first. 

“Earth, twenty first century by the looks of it. Talk about lucky.” He gave them both a dazzling smile. 

Donna frowned as she looked between the Time Lord and his old friend. Both tall, brunet, handsome with a love of long trench coats. She would have guessed that Jack had modelled his appearance on the Doctor but as far as she was aware her Doctor hadn’t seen Jack in this body before they found him dead on the ground outside the Tardis. She wondered whether Time Lords could influence their faces and personalities when they regenerated, the Master had certainly suggested that was the case. From what she could tell both the Doctor and Jack had been rather enamoured by Rose. She wondered whether the Doctor had been jealous of the time agent when he was still his leather coat wearing self. She wondered whether he’d taken on part of Jack’s appearance and personality. Jack himself noted that this regeneration was cheeky which was a bit pot kettle black in Donna’s opinion.

“Oh my god” She muttered under her breath. The Doctor gave her a questioning look but she shook her head. She made a mental note to tell Martha when they’d finished stopping whatever the Master was planning. She knew the young doctor would be delighted by her findings. Yes she loved the Doctor but it was no fun if she couldn’t also rip the hell out of him. 

“That wasn't luck, that was me.” The Doctor grumbled. 

Donna could feel the stress and pain radiating from him. She had a feeling that as soon as this was all over he was going to fall apart harder than he had before. It was only the adrenaline and the fight that was holding him together right now. 

“The moral is, if you're going to get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-time agent and his vortex manipulator.” Jack grinned arrogantly. 

Donna rolled her eyes. God blokes were all the same. Get two of them in a room together and it was all testosterone and trying to one up each other. “Which wouldn’t have worked without the Doctor. You both get a gold star now stop it!” She snapped. Both men turned to face her with matching sheepish expressions. 

“Oh my god there’s two of them!” Martha laughed. 

“Wizard.” Donna muttered sarcastically. “Now kiss and make up so we can finish stopping the Master and his evil plan alright?”

She should have known to choose her words more carefully. In all honesty, she realised her mistake as soon as the words had left her lips. Jack’s eyes lit up and he smiled mischievously before offering her a salute. 

“Yes Ma’am!” He chuckled and pulled the rather alarmed Time Lord into a kiss.

“That’s not what she meant!” The Doctor spluttered when he was let go from Jack’s embrace. 

Donna just laughed at the horror on the Doctor’s face. 

“Donna!” He whined. 

“Doctor!” She shot right back at him. 

In the end it was the ever lovely Martha Jones that got them back on track with their search for the Master. Apparently the Doctor had done something clever with the sonic that meant that the Tardis could only land in the same place she’d last taken off from. Luckily it didn’t take long for the Master to make himself known to them. He must have sensed their arrival or something weird and alien like that because less than five minutes after their landing in the 21st Century, Harold Saxon’s face appeared on the screen in front of them. 

Harold Saxon who suddenly had a very familiar voice. 

Harold Saxon who had been in the Government since before Donna had even met the Doctor. 

Harold Saxon, The Master, who had just been elected as Prime Minister. 

“The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain. The Master and his wife?” The Doctor stared in horror at the screen as the Master kissed a pretty blonde by his side. 

Harold Saxon, Prime Minister, The Master.

Donna’s mind was reeling this was the same man that had been trying to talk to her mum and gramps about the Doctor. Her mind was flooded of images of her family being carted away in the back of crummy old vans and taken to some dodgy Government basement. 

She let go of Martha’s arm and grabbed hold of the Doctor’s shoulders, forcing his attention away from the screen and onto her. He looked alarmed but his eyes softened as they met her gaze. 

“Donna?” He asked. 

“Doctor, my family!” She cried urgently. “The Master was trying to get to them.”

“And mine!” Martha cried as she realised. 

“Gramps is old. He won’t survive if the Master decides to use them to get to you.” She could feel the panic bubbling up in her chest.

The Doctor’s eyes went dark as he considered this. “His age won’t be what kills him.” He muttered. He sighed and scratched his ear then messed up his hair. “I need to work out what his plan is Donna. I can’t just give in.” He looked so torn up by this that Donna flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug.

_I know, but let me check that they’re alright. I’ll find you once I’ve got them to a safe space. _She said. 

She instantly felt his horror at the suggestion. He didn’t want her to go alone. She wouldn’t be safer by his side but he would at least know she was alright. “Donna.” He whispered, his voice cracking slightly. 

“I’ll be back for you. You can’t get rid of me, Spaceman.” She insisted and kissed his cheek. 

“Martha?” He turned to face her. 

“Well, my mum seemed pretty pally with Mr Saxon.” She paled at the thought. “He’s probably already found a way to get to them.” 

“Right.” The Doctor nodded seeming to make up his mind. His eyes were a raging inferno and Donna almost pitied the Master. She’d seen this man take down so many foes with just some clever words and a flick of a switch. The Master was a genius but the Doctor was a hurricane that couldn’t be stopped by a power hungry child. “Donna. Go home. Get your family away from here. Wilf might just have saved them by standing up to Harold Saxon but the Master will use any advantage he has against me and he is merciless against anything that stands between him and his goals. Now the mask is off he will almost certainly come for them. No phones, no computers. Nothing. You get out. You run. When it’s safe I will come and find you.” 

“How?” Donna asked. “No phones remember?”

The Doctor pressed his fingers to her temple. _I will find you._

Donna was almost breathless by the conviction in his voice. She knew that their mental link was growing stronger everyday but it hadn’t even occurred to her that he could use it like a Donna specific GPS.

She pulled him into a passionate kiss, desperately hoping it wouldn’t be their last goodbye. _Stay safe, Doctor. _

“If you don’t come back then I’m hauling you out of the underworld myself. Hades has got nothing on me!” Donna swatted him on the arm.

“You too.” He nodded seriously and then turned to Martha. “Martha, the Master has probably already gotten to your family so they’re a priority but I promise you, I will save them if I can. If they are still alive them I will get them back.”

Donna couldn’t listen anymore. She had this strange feeling in her chest, like she had just said goodbye to the love of her life for the last time. Tears were threatening to fall from her chest and she ran from her friends. It wasn’t long before she was out of breath and she was still miles away from Chiswick. She frowned as leant on her legs as she tried to catch her breath. She didn’t have any British money for a taxi. She’d left her wallet in her other coat which was still inside of the Tardis and the only cash she had in her pockets were some leaves of ancient Gamma forest currency.

“Flipping hell.” She grumbled as she made a mental note to get the Doctor to work some Time Lord magic on her favourite coat to make her pockets bigger on the inside so she wouldn’t have this problem. 

That is if she ever saw him again.

No. She wouldn’t think like that. She looked around her to see if there was anything she could use to help her. She grinned as she spotted a motorbike parked up by the side of one of the houses. It was a long shot but maybe, just maybe the key would still be on the bike and it wouldn’t be locked up. She looked around her to see if anyone was watching her but the street was empty. She strolled casually up to the bike and glanced over it. There was no lock so if she could just find the key then she might be in with a chance. 

But there was no sign of a key.

“Ah!” Donna flapped her hands in frustration. Yes it had been an unlikely chance but she had been hoping that luck would be on her side. To her surprise her chest started to burn. “Ouch!” She cried as she pulled on the chain around her neck. Her heart clenched as she spotted her bio-damp ring dangling from the chain, and next to it was the Tardis key.

And it was glowing!

“What?” She stared dumbfounded at the alien metal and hurried to fit it into the ignition switch. The bike roared to life and she jumped back with a start. “Bingo!” She cried happily and mounted the old bike. “Hold on Gramps!” 

* * *

Donna managed to unlock her front door with the Tardis key, she’d left her actual house key in her other coat with her wallet like a moron, but it was good to know the Old Girl could help her out in a tight spot even from a distance. She hoped the Tardis was alright. She didn’t know a lot about the Master but the Doctor had seemed incredibly shaken by his reappearance so he was almost certainly bad and someone who would mistreat their precious time machine. Even the Doctor had a habit of abusing his ship at times and he adored the old blue box more than anything. She wondered what lengths the Master would go to achieve his goals. Murder almost certainly, unravelling the space time continuum? Was that even possible? 

She realised with a start that, apart from the key obviously adapting to the locks, she couldn’t feel the ship at all. When the Family had hijacked the Tardis, Donna had felt the ship screaming out in her mind. Now it was just silence. Was it because the Master was also a Time Lord?

Oh who was she kidding? She didn’t know anything about this stuff. She was just a human and not a particularly remarkable one at that. Plain old Donna Noble from Chiswick with a strange alien boyfriend. 

“Mum!” She called as she pushed open the door. “Gramps!” 

“Donna!” Her mum peered out of the kitchen with a cloth and a wet glass in her hands. “I thought you had that emergency to sort out?” She paused. “Why are your clothes covered in dirt?”

Donna looked down at her leggings. They were splattered in mud, probably from all the running away from the Futurekind. “Classified?” She suggested.

“You what?” Her mum stammered. 

“Look Mum, I don’t have time to explain. Where’s Gramps?” Donna pushed her mother into the kitchen, hoping that for once her granddad was actually in the house. 

“Up the hill. Why?” Her mum replied with a frown.

“Well ring him and get him home! We need to leave. Now!” Donna snapped. 

“Well that’s no use. You know he never turns the bloody thing on. Netty is always telling him off about it.” Sylvia grumbled as she carried on with the washing up. 

The whole planet was in danger and her mother was doing the washing up. Bloody typical. 

“Netty?” Donna raised an eyebrow.

“Friend from that space club of his.” Sylvia explained.

“Oh that’s not important! I’ll go get him but you lock the door and don’t let anyone else in alright!” Donna glared accusingly at her mother hoping she would understand the seriousness of the situation. 

“Let me guess. That’s classified too?” Sylvia rolled her eyes. 

“Yes! Just promise me!” Donna pleaded. 

For a fraction of a second, Donna saw comprehension in her mother’s eyes. Like for a moment she actually realised just how much danger she was in but it passed quicker than you could snap your fingers. “I’m not promising anything, missy! What if Vera turns up?”

“Oh for…” Donna turned on her heels and stormed out of the house. She had the find her granddad and soon. She might already be too late!

* * *

Martha was shaking from the cold, from emotional exhaustion, from grief. 

Her family had been taken by the Master, just like they’d predicted. Luckily Leo was out of town and as far as they could tell he was still safe, but her home had been destroyed and her family was torn apart, prisoners of the Master. The three of them were public enemies number one, two and three. Strangely enough there had been no mention of Donna on the news reports and Martha could tell that was making the Doctor nervous. The Master knew who Donna was. He’d been trying to contact her family before the end of the universe so there was no way he didn’t know about her, and yet there was no sign of her in the news. 

They were hiding out in a dark cold alleyway eating fish and chips. The Doctor was staring intently at his laptop. He had his glasses on and he was practically radiating don’t talk to me energy. Martha huffed as she sat down next to Jack. The Doctor wasn’t usually this bad when Donna was off doing her own thing. He usually trusted her to get back to them but the Master had shaken him more than he was letting on and he’d completely closed up. 

Martha gave Jack a frustrated look. They couldn’t just sit here in silence the entire night until Donna turned up. Jack rolled his eyes and moved to stand behind the Doctor. 

“Nice chips.” He commented.

The Doctor looked up from his computer a little surprised by the sudden break in the silence. He glanced between the chips that lay untouched in his lap and up at his old friend and then frowned. 

“Doctor you’ve got to eat.” Martha sighed gently.

The Doctor waved her concerns away and just rubbed his face as he went back to staring at the computer. 

“She can look after herself, Doctor.” Jack tried a new tactic. 

The Doctor just glared icily up at him.

Martha tried to laugh it off. “Yeah. I mean. I’d be more concerned about the Master if he got hold of Donna.” 

To her surprise he almost smiled at that. “Yeah.” 

But he didn’t say anything further so Martha caught Jack’s eyes again. He probably knew the Doctor better than her. The Doctor had said Jack was an old friend right? 

Even after all the time she’d spent travelling with the Doctor and Donna, she still barely knew anything about him. Donna teased him all the time and all three of them were frequently found having a good old laugh in the Tardis but what did she really know about him? He was brilliant yes. Clever, cleverer than any human bloke she’d met. Pretty easy on the eyes but nothing extraordinary. Last of his kind, alien and brilliant. 

She sighed. 

How had she never realised this before? Everything she knew about her friends came from Donna.

“So, Doctor, who is he? How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath?” Jack asked with a cheeky brashness that only he seemed to be able to manage. 

The Doctor finally sat back in his chair, away from the screen and a glazed look came over his face. Lost in some memory of a time long passed. Martha shifted to the edge of her seat, eager the know what was on the Doctor’s mind. Wondering that maybe he would finally say some more than just what was on the surface. 

It was like dam breaking as he began to speak. He spoke of his friendship with the Master with this bittersweet longing that Martha almost wished they could meet the Time Lord before he became the monster that she had met. He spoke of his home, of Gallifrey, waxing poetry that would put Shakespeare to shame. Martha felt like if she closed her eyes she would be able to see the ancient planet just from the way he described it. It sounded beautiful. The Mountains of Solace and Solitude, she wondered whether Time Lords were destined to be lonely. Was it part of their existence? She felt tears prick in her eyes as he spoke wistfully of the planet he’d once called home. He’d called the Master hypnotic but did even realise what his own voice was capable of when he spoke so softly, so gently. She was reminded of the tavern in Elizabethan England when they’d been trying to figure out what was creating the magic around Shakespeare. Both her and Donna had found themselves falling asleep in minutes, and then again in Bedlam with Peter Streete. 

She looked over at Jack. He looked just as entranced by the Doctor’s story as the Doctor told them about the Untempered Schism and the time vortex. At only eight years old. It was like the Time Lords had their childhoods ripped away from them. 

“What about you?” Martha asked, wondering what a young Doctor had seen in the Untempered Schism. 

“Oh, the ones that ran away, I never stopped.” He smirked. It wasn’t the same carefree grin that she was used to but after the stilted silence and the brooding she was just happy to see any semblance to a smile on her friend. 

Running away. Of course. All the travelling through time and space. It wasn’t exploring or showing off to his human friends. He was running away. 

But maybe this time, time was running out.

* * *

Donna grumbled all the way up the hill. She loved her mum. Honestly she really did, and she knew the Doctor was right and that her mum did, in fact, love her back, but did she have to be so bloodyminded all the time? Donna wondered what it was about her that made her mother so abrasive. Was it that she was an only child? Did her mum secretly always want a son? Or was it that Sylvia was so afraid to lose her daughter that she went too far and practically pushed her away? 

She missed her dad. Her dad would have listened to her and her mum adored her husband. 

She cursed the hill as she almost slipped in the mud. Did it have to be so steep? Her legs were already knackered from all the running. Seriously, did the running never stop? She hadn’t had a break since they’d been eating dinner and that was hours ago. After that it had all been running away from the Government and then the Futurekind and then running to save Professor Yana and Chantho and then running away again from the Master to her home. 

And blimey she was starving! It had been hours since dinner, for her at any rate. Apparently they’d barely been gone half an hour by the time Donna had reached her house. Time Travel. You just had to love it. It didn’t half make things complicated. 

“Gramps!!” She called as she forced her legs to keep moving.

“Over here, sweetheart!” Her granddad’s soft and ancient voice replied. Donna’s heart soared. He was alright! With a new burst of energy she trotted up the rest of the hill until she reached the old rackety chair and picnic blanket that Wilf used to make his camp. She ran over to him and flung her arms around his neck. “Donna? What’s wrong, sweetheart? Is it the Doctor? Is he alright?”

Donna nodded. “He’s with Martha and Jack. I’ll tell you all about it but we’ve got to go.” Donna urged as she pulled back from the hug. 

“Go? Go where?” Her granddad asked with a dark expression on his face.

It was easier to forget her kind and loving grandfather had been a soldier. There wasn’t much use for his skills in civilian life, and apart from the odd salut and joke about the military, he just seemed to be too jolly for war. Like her own personal Father Christmas. But in that moment his entire personality seemed to change. His eyes were cold and his expression hardened. His body stiffened up and he shifted into a more militant stance. 

He became a soldier. 

It was horrifying to witness. 

She’d seen it in the Doctor countless times now. The way he shifted from a goofy ball of science nerd and adoring boyfriend to destroyer of armies and defender of the Earth. It sent shivers down her spine just thinking about it. It didn’t matter what planet you were from or what species you were. War was war and it had this devastating way of burning into one’s soul and changing the heart into charred glass, seemingly destroyed and yet so beautiful and fragile beneath the soot. 

“Just go. Fast. There isn’t time.” Donna insisted as she helped her grandfather to his feet. 

“Donna, darling, slow down!” Wilf cried as they stumbled back down the hill together. “I’m not as young as I used to be you know!”

“Gramps, come on!” Donna shouted back. 

“Sweetheart! Tell us what’s wrong?” Wilf asked as they approached the house. 

Donna spun round to face him with tears in her eyes. How could she possibly explain what was going on? She only knew half the story. What she say? ‘Oh sorry Gramps, there’s an insane and murderous Time Lord trying to kill us and by the way he’s the Prime Minister of England!” No that wasn’t fair. This Master was the only other Time Lord left. She had no idea what impression that would give of the Doctor’s species. Maybe the Doctor was the odd one out. Maybe his entire species were warlords, they all died in a war and the Doctor was no stranger to fighting and death. 

“I can’t!” She insisted. “Trust me Gramps. I know it’s a lot but you’ve got to trust me.”

Wilf frowned but nodded and pulled her into a hug. “Of course I trust you, Donna. If you say we’re not safe then I believe you. We need to warn people.”

Donna shook her head. “I don’t know what’s coming Gramps but you’re a target. You and Mum, and it’s all my fault.”

“There you two are!” Sylvia cried from the doorway. “Come and have a look at this! The Prime Minister is on the tele!” 

Donna felt the blood rush from her face. 

“Oh for god’s sake, Mum!” She snapped. “He’s always on the tele! He’s the flipping Prime Minister! Let’s go!” 

“I’m not going anywhere until you’ve told us what all the fuss is about.” Sylvia narrowed her eyes at Donna. 

“Sylvie, darling. We should listen to Donna.” Wilf said calmly. 

“Oh well you would say that!” Sylvia rolled her eyes. “Don’t suppose you care that Mr Saxon is talking about aliens then?”

Drat! 

If her granddad had one weak spot it was his love for the stars and aliens. That was a sneaky move on her mother’s part.

“Aliens?”

“Yes! Now come on inside. You’re letting the cold in!” Sylvia bustled them both into the house, ignoring Donna’s protests and marched them into the lounge. 

Harold Saxon’s face was on the television.

“A message for humanity, from beyond the stars.” He smiled and Donna felt her skin crawl.

“See!” Sylvia pointed to the television. “I told you! Aliens!”

The screen flickered and the Master’s face disappeared. It was replace by a strange metal orb. Donna frowned. She’d never seen anything like it in her travels. Occasionally the odd drone or security camera but never an actual alien species. Even after a year with the Doctor there was still so much she hadn’t seen. The universe was incomprehensible and she thought she would never quite get over how tiny she was, how tiny the planet was. 

It was like a speck of dust glittering in the sunlight, beautiful but gone in the blink of an eye. 

“People of the Earth, we come in peace. We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship.” The sphere spoke. It sounded so young. So childlike. 

“Actual aliens!” Her granddad laughed happily. 

“Come in peace, my ass.” Donna muttered. “Can we go now?” 

“Oh don’t be so silly! I’ve never understood what you had against the Prime Minister, Donna. He’s good. Look! He’s helping to protect us.” Sylvia pointed at the screen, Donna narrowed her eyes as she realised that the hand that wasn’t point at the television was tapping out a rhythm on her legs as she spoke about the Prime Minister. What was that about? Did her mum gain a nervous tick whilst she’d been away? She hadn’t noticed it before. 

“The Doctor protects us.” Donna pointed out. 

“Darling, I know you love him but he’s just a doctor. He can’t help against the aliens. You know it’s been getting worse recently.” Sylvia replied. 

Donna laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. She supposed it was her own fault for keeping her mother in the dark for so long. “Look, Mum. I need to tell you something.”

There was a knock at the door. 

Donna shared a cautious look with her granddad. Her mum was oblivious and went to get the door. 

“Mum wait!” Donna called after. “Let me. It might be the Doctor.”

Sylvia scowled but let Donna push past her into the hallway. Donna knew it wasn’t the Doctor. She would be able to feel it if he were only outside but she could barely sense his mind through the link they shared. A tingle of panic and fear, maybe anger but he definitely wasn’t close. She took a deep breath as she approached the door, ready to kick out at whoever was behind it, ready to scream for her life. 

A trio of shining metal orbs hovered in the doorway.

* * *

Hope.

It was a dangerous thing. 

The Doctor had been given hope. Just a spark of hope for barely a moment in time. He’d felt a rush of joy when they’d landed on the Valiant and he’d felt the Tardis calling out to him. He’d been so relieved to have his ship back. His wonderful gorgeous Tardis. It had broken his hearts to watch her dematerialise right in front of his eyes. Part of him had really hoped that his ship would have rejected the Master’s attempts to pilot her but there was only so much she could do. She may be sentient but she was still a ship. It had been with her help that he’d been able to lock the controls from the outside of the ship. If she’d wanted to fly with the Master then he wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it. 

But it still tore him apart watching her disappear from sight. 

So when he’d felt her, heard her calling out. Hope flooded him like a rainbow lighting up the sky at the end of a storm. He’d raced through the maintenance tunnels of the giant ship, with Martha and Jack in tow. Following the psychic link he shared with his ship like a bloodhound on a scent. 

Joy rushed through him when he saw her. 

HIs Tardis. 

The one constant in his life since he’d ran away from Gallifrey with Susan. 

His old blue police box. There’d been many time where he’d thought about trying to fix the chameleon circuit but the police box exterior had just felt so right. A sign that people could call for help and he would be there. The thought of fixing it now after so many years left him feeling hollow inside. 

Joy. Hope. Love. 

Destroyed in just one beat of his hearts. He knew as soon as his hands touched the wooden exterior that something was wrong. Timelines blurred in his vision and the call of his ship became a grotesque scream. 

He pushed the door open with dread. He felt sick to his stomach when he saw the monstrosity around the console of his ship. The poor pathetic whining that even Martha and Jack could hear. The horrific red lighting that bathed the console room. It was the Old Girl’s way of crying out and screaming against the Time Lord that had been torturing her. Even non telepathic species would walk into the room and be able to tell something was wrong. 

“What the hell's he done?” Jack asked, horrified by the sight of the tortured Tardis. 

“Don't touch it.” The Doctor yelled a warning to his friends. The timelines were melting inside of the old time machine. He couldn’t guarantee that his friends wouldn’t fizzle and fade away from time itself if they touched the casing around the console. 

“I'm not going to.” Jack replied as if it were the furthest thing on his mind.

“What's he done though? Sounds like it's sick.” Martha asked curiously. 

If he wasn’t feeling so tormented then he might have managed a smile at that. Doctor Martha Jones. She might not connect to the Tardis in the same way that his Donna did but she was still compassionate and intelligent beyond any normal human. An engineer would have said his ship was broken but Martha was a doctor and his ship was alive and very very sick. 

“It can't be. No, no, no, no, no, no, it can't be.” He cried as he ran around the circumference of the cage. 

He didn’t want to believe it. 

No Time Lord would be so selfish. 

The Master would have been able to hear the cries as he poisoned the heart of the Tardis. It would have been unbearable to any sane Time Lord. It was difficult to even stand in the ship with the timelines spinning and swirling and disappearing around him, it would have been impossible to be the one to cause it. 

“Doctor, what is it?” Martha asked again.

He still hadn’t answered their questions. Humans and their endless questions.

“He's cannibalised the Tardis.” He explained in the best way he could. It was a terribly simplified explanation of what the Master had done to his ship 

“Is this what I think it is?” Jack asked, surprising the Doctor. He often forgot about the rigorous training time agents went through before they were allowed out on missions. Jack was so ridiculous and carefree that the Doctor often overlooked the man’s intelligence. 

He’d have to be better about that. 

Donna was right. He’d not been very fair to his old friend over the years. He was grateful to have his company now. He needed all the help he could get to face down the Master and win. 

“It’s a paradox machine.” He answered darkly, wincing as the Tardis cried out at the name. 

* * *

“No!” Donna yelled and tried to slam the door.

But it was no good. The spheres’ inner workings clinked as they morphed into killing machines. Spikes shot out of the bottom half of Toclafane and they blasted through the door. Donna shielded her face from the splinters that cascaded around her. 

“Mum, Gramps! RUN!” She screamed but one of the Toclafane had swept past her in the attack and they were now circling her family in the living room. “No! You over grown marble! You get away from them!” Donna cried.

“Donna Noble.” The Toclafane sang happily. “Our Master sends his regards!” 

Donna felt her eyes go wide as she anticipated an attack from the Toclafanes that were circling around the room. She hadn’t been fast enough. She couldn’t save her family. They were going to die here and it was her fault. 

If she hadn’t met the Doctor.

No. She couldn’t think like that. She knew she wouldn’t change the last year of her life for anything. There was always a chance she would die on her travels with the Doctor but she’d known that. She’d accepted pretty early on that anytime she stepped out of the box she could die. She’d known he was dangerous from the moment she’d met him but she’d made her choice when she’d agreed to travel with him. 

And she loved him.

More than anything. 

He had shown her so many amazing and beautiful things, but more than that, he had shown her how brilliant she could be. Their friendship had blossomed into a deep and blinding love that she had never thought was possible.

She would never regret that.

She did regret that her family had been caught up in the fallout though. Her family didn’t deserve to die because of her and the Doctor. 

“Please. Just let them go.” She begged. 

Her mum and gramps were embracing in the centre of the room whilst the murderous spheres circled them like vultures. Tears were falling from her mother’s eyes whilst her granddad watched every twist and turn of the spheres with a flicker of his eyes. 

“It’s alright, Donna.” He said calmly as he stroked her mother’s hair. “It’s ok.

“You don’t have to kill them.” Donna ignored the old man. “It’s me you want yeah? You’re after the Doctor.”

“The Doctor is dead.” One of the orbs cackled. 

Donna felt numb. He couldn’t just be dead. He’d promised her he would stay safe. 

“No he’s not! You’re lying!” Wilf shouted and even her mum choked back a sob.

“If I find out you’re lying.” Donna’s voice cracked but she was determined to stay strong. He needed her to stay strong. “I will tear your stupid spikes from your body and stick them where the sun don’t shine!” 

The Toclafane all laughed. It was childlike and sickening. “Master said you were a lively one. We shall have so much fun with you!” 

“Get away from my daughter!” Her mum cried and made a swing for the nearest orb. It dodged her attack easily and whipped round slicing the top of her arm with one of its spikes. Sylvia screamed and fell to the floor. 

“MUM!” Donna shouted and ran to her side. The cut wasn’t deep to her surprise, barely more than a scratch. The pink fabric of her mum’s sleeve was torn neatly. Donna had no doubt that the blades would have been able to cut cleanly through human bones and yet there was barely any damage. “Gramps. Go get a bandage from the bathroom.”

The sphere’s moved to stop him but Donna was having none of that.

“OI! You listen here R2D2! You don’t want us dead, otherwise you would have killed her, which means you need us alive, which means the Doctor’s alive. So you’re gonna let Gramps get something to stop the bleeding or else you can report back to Mr God Complex that you let one of his prisoners bleed out. Capiche?” Donna glared and to her surprise they let her granddad passed. “Thank you.” She added with a nod. 

* * *

The Doctor moved slowly and silently through the ship like a lioness stalking its prey. The closer they got to the main conference room of the Valiant, the more Government officials there were to try and avoid. He peered round a corner to see how many people were in their path and frowned. There was a whole battalion of guards on the door. Even with the perception filters it would be difficult to get through. 

There was a part of him, growing with every second that passed, that wanted to stop. He wanted to run. He’d been protecting Earth now for so many lives and he was so fond of the human race despite their flaws, but he was tired. He wanted a rest. He needed a break. Just once he wished the universe would allow him to stop and breathe.

He’d never felt like that before. 

He’d always loved the running and the adventure. Yes it sometimes wore him down when it was one thing after another, even Time Lords needed a holiday, but he’d never backed down from a fight like this. Not one this important. Not one that wasn’t a fixed point at any rate. Yet all he wanted to do was grab Jack’s vortex manipulator from his wrist and vanish from this cursed ship. 

If he was being honest with himself he knew that he would land firmly in the middle of Chiswick. 

“Doctor?” Martha asked. 

He didn’t turn to face her. He knew what he would see.

Pity. Concern. Kindness. 

He didn’t deserve those things from her. It was his fault that the Master had taken her family. It was his fault that the Master was even trapped in 21st Century Earth. If he’d had more time he would have been able to send the Master away to an uninhabited planet for them to settle their differences. Nobody should have needed to get involved, but he’d failed. He’d trapped the Master on Earth because it was the only way he could track his old friend. 

Martha’s family were prisoners of his best friend and nemesis. Donna’s family were in terrible danger, if not already dead. Donna was god knows where. Hopefully somewhere safe but the panic and fear he could feel through the psychic link told him that was unlikely. 

“Doctor!” Martha tried again. 

“Shh.” He put a hand over her mouth. “The perception filter only works if we’re quiet.”

“Doctor.” Jack admonished. “Look Red’s gonna be fine.”

“This isn’t about her.” He sneered. “We need to stop the Master.”

“Like hell it isn’t.” Martha mumbled behind his hand. 

He frowned and pulled away from her. 

“You’ve barely smiled since she went home.” Martha whispered. 

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her. “The Master has cannibalised my ship, taken control of England and quite possibly the planet, he left us all for dead at the end of the universe, he has taken your family, and probably Donna’s too, and murdered innocent people in this harebrained scheme for power.”

“I know.” Martha said sadly. 

“I don’t think there’s been much reason to smile. Do you?” He hissed. 

But even without Donna being in the room he could hear her voice. It was his imagination, there was no way they could communicate verbally without physical contact, not without a marriage bond, but he could hear her as clear as crystal. 

_Oi! Spaceman. _Imaginary Donna called in his mind. 

_I’m sorry. _He mumbled back.

_You’re worried about me. I know that. I’m worried about you too. _She replied sternly.

_Then why did you leave? _He asked.

_You know why, daft Martian. _She chided. _But you have to be better without me. _

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, not quite bringing himself to apologise to his friends. “Look, I’m doing my best.”

“We know, Doctor, but we’re in this together. That’s my family the Master has and I will not let him get away with this.” The fierceness in Martha’s voice surprised him. 

When had this young doctor grown so strong?

He nodded silently. 

“So what’s the plan Doctor?” Jack asked. 

“First we get in there.” He pointed to the door. “Even with the perception filters it’ll be difficult. They might see us.”

“Is there another way in?” Martha asked quietly. 

He shook his head and scratched the back of his neck. “If there is then I don’t know it. We don’t have time to find one.” 

“I’ll go first.” Jack suggested. “I can’t die if we get seen.” He added with a shrug. 

“No. I just need to make a distraction.” He frowned as he searched his pockets for something to help. 

He found a few old Venusian coins. He sniffed as he considered his options and then threw the coins hard so they landed a few meters away from the door. As predicted the guards all spooked at the sound and went to see what the noise was. He flashed a grin at his friends and they walked, as quickly as they dared to, towards the doors.

* * *

Donna was sat on the sofa with her family. Her mum had finally stopped crying and was now pretending like there was nothing wrong with the world. The Toclafane mostly let them move around the house freely but if they got too close to any of the windows or doors then they wouldn’t hesitate to hurt them. Her gramps had learnt that the hard way. He was nursing a badly injured knee from his escape attempt which had left both Noble girls fuming. Her mother was making tea in the kitchen whilst the Toclafane swirled around the room giggling and telling them how the world as they knew it was about to end as their Master brought in a new age. 

Donna was munching on biscuits with as much disdain as she could manage as she glared fiercely at her captors. The Doctor would find her. She had to have faith that wherever he was he was working on saving the world. She knew she should have gone with him but at least he wasn’t alone. He had Martha and Jack with him. 

Lord knows he was useless on his own. 

She sighed as the Toclafane decided to have a go at the paint work in the living room. They were trashing her house, her life, her planet, and there was nothing she could do about it. 

Well. Almost nothing. 

“OI!” She shouted, spitting biscuit crumbs over the carpet. 

The Toclafane just giggled. 

“I’m suing the Government over this.” Donna continued. “Once the Doctor stops the Master then we are coming after the Government so hard. They’ll regret even looking at Harold Saxon.”

“Oh Donna. Stop it.” Her mother snapped as she passed Donna a cup of tea. 

Donna took the steaming mug gratefully but still rolled her eyes at her mother’s determination to accept the silver aliens into her house. She sipped her tea. It wasn’t bad but she missed the Doctor’s tea. He probably didn’t make it as well as her mum but it just tasted like home and he always made it in her favourite colour changing mug. 

“It is almost time!” One of the spheres chimed.

“Time? Time for what?” Donna asked. 

“A new age!” The second orb giggled. 

Donna frowned as the television flickered into life. It was playing the news. The President of America was addressing the camera. Donna inhaled sharply. She hadn’t realised how much had passed. It was time for first contact. 

“My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world. I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with the utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins can offer us much, but what is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew.” The President said with all the arrogance that only an American politician can manage. “For as long as man has looked at the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone.”

Donna huffed under her breath. Most humans had no idea just how not alone they were, but these creatures, the Toclafane, were not the ones that Donna would choose to meet. She wasn’t even sure they were real aliens. She didn’t know why. There was just something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It was probably the Master’s involvement. 

The Toclafane predictably did not respond well to the President’s welcome. Donna and her family watched in horror as the Master stood up and announced his real name to world. 

“The Doctor will get him.” Gramps hissed and pointed at the screen.

Her mother swatted her father’s hand away. “Don’t be daft, Dad.” 

But Donna wasn’t listening because the Doctor was there. He was walking slowly around the outside of the room, away from Jack and Martha. Donna felt a bubble of hope in her heart as she saw her friends on the screen. 

“Spaceman.” She whispered and clutched the chain around her neck. 

The Doctor moved closer and closer to the Master. Never taking his eyes off of the man. Donna frowned. What was the idiot Martian up to? Was that a Tardis key in his hands? 

Sylvia let out a scream as the President was shot and disintegrated in a blaze of red light. 

“That’s the Doctor!” Wilf cried and pointed at the screen. 

Donna frowned. Had they not seen him before? It wasn’t exactly liked he’d been hidden but her confusion didn’t last long as the Master set guards on his friends. 

“NO!” Donna ran towards the tv set and held it in her hands. 

“Donna, Sweetheart.” Her mum tried to pull her away from the screen as their captors giggled madly. 

“No!” She shook her mum’s hand away. “Bloody idiot!”

“We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho. I love saying that.” The Master cried excitably on the television and the Toclafanes, both in the room and on the ship, laughed with him. 

“Stop it! Stop it now!” Her Time Lord pleaded with the mad man. 

The picture was focussing on the Master and not on the Doctor but Donna could hear the anguish in his voice and a faint echo in her heart. Even after all of this the Doctor just wanted to help the Master. 

“Oh Spaceman.” She rested her head against the television set.

Why had she left him? He needed her and she was trapped in her own home by these stupid silver spheres. If only she had the Tardis or even Jack’s vortex manipulator. 

“He’ll be alright, love” Gramps said from the sofa. It was the same voice he’d used whenever she got ill as a child or when she’d been bullied at school. Instantly she just wanted to curl up in his lap and cry until she fell asleep but she couldn’t not now. Not when her Time Lord needed her. 

The Master pointed a strange yellow device as Jack ran forward with his key in his hands. A beam of light hit Jack and the immortal fell to the ground. 

“Jack!” Donna cried. 

She closed her eyes. In her heart she knew that he would be alright but it didn’t make it any easier to watch. 

“Donna. Who are these people?” Her mother asked and Donna realised she’d never had a chance to explain the truth about her travels with the Doctor. They’d been interrupted by the Toclafane. “And the Doctor. Why is he there? Who is he really?”

“Mum.” Donna sighed. Where to start? Nothing she could say would really do it justice, all the wonderful and terrible things that she’d seen. All the people she’d met and saved and lost. 

“Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself.” The Doctor pleaded again, wasting no time on his temporarily dead friend. 

“Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute.” The Master said to the camera before the television screen turned blank. 

“No, no, no!” Donna thumped the television set with her fists. 

“Donna!” Her mum chided. 

She let out a scream of frustration. “Oh I am going to kill him, Mum.” She sat back on her ankles, tears were now streaming down her cheek. “Why did I let him go without me?”

“Now then, don’t say that. You’re safer here with us.” Her mum put her arms around her. 

Donna shook her head. “No. I’m not. How can you say that, Mum? We have monsters in our house! Look around you!”

“They haven’t killed us yet.” Her mum countered. 

“Yet.” Donna repeated with a hint of sarcasm. 

The television did not come back on after a minute. Every second seemed to tick away slower than eternity. Her body ached and her skin felt like there were a thousand spiders crawling over it but she could do nothing but wait. She knew it her heart that something was very wrong. The Doctor was in trouble. More trouble than he’d been in since she’d met him. After a few minutes it flickered back to life after the Toclafane in the room began to spin around happily. Something unseen had made them incredibly excited. 

Donna gasped when she saw the screen. Martha was there in front of the Master next an old man in the Doctor’s suit, but it couldn’t be. It had only been a few minutes. 

“Blimey!” Her granddad exclaimed when he noticed. 

Donna was silent. She knew those eyes. Ancient and wise, yet almost ageless at the same time. It wasn’t just an old man in his suit. That was the Doctor. Her Doctor. Her daft old Martian. 

“So, Earthings. Basically, er, end of the world. Here come the drums!” The Master announced with a wave of his hands and a manic laugh. 

* * *

The Doctor watched in horror as the Toclafane came tumbling down to Earth. He wanted to look away but the Master’s hand were around his shoulders forcing him to watch the downfall of his beloved planet through the window. 

“And so it came to pass that the human race fell, and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new dominion as Master of all, and I thought it good.” The Master narrated like the all thing was part of some children’s story. 

The Doctor cursed his body. The Master had aged him by 100 years, in human terms. Relatively it was more like almost a millennia if you factored in Time Lord ageing. His first body hadn’t felt this old when he’d felt the tickle of regeneration energy in his veins but the Master’s laser screwdriver seemed to have blocked his regeneration or at least delayed it, raised the threshold for the trigger, which, if he did managed to reverse the process as planned, he would be grateful for. It didn’t make it any easier now though. He couldn’t fight. He couldn’t run. He was trapped watching the Earth burn whilst Martha Jones was busy doing her best to save it. 

He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. 

Martha Jones. 

What had he done to her?

He’d promised her adventure and fun. She’d gotten pain, war and torture. She was stuck in the beginnings of a dystopian nightmare with no training and just her belief in him to keep her safe. He just hoped it would be enough. 

Donna would be furious when she heard what he’d asked of their younger friend. It was too much for one person but he didn’t have any choice. He regretted that it hadn’t been possible to send her family away by vortex manipulator as well but there just hadn’t been time. It didn’t make the broken promise any easier to bear. 

He just never caught a break. 

“Oh come on now!” The Master squeezed his shoulders and the Doctor felt his old friend’s mind brush against his but he shut him out firmly. “Don’t look so glum. There are plenty of other planets for you to find pets, or what is it you call them? Companions?” 

“Friends.” He glared up at his oldest friend of all. 

“How sentimental.” The Master rolled his eyes. “And where are your friends now, Doctor?” 

He didn’t answer. He knew the Master was baiting him. His friends were scattered to the wind, Martha beginning her journey across the Earth, Rose was trapped in a parallel world with Mickey, Sarah-Jane was hopefully hiding safely from the Toclafane, Jack was being tortured like Prometheus somewhere on the Valiant.

And Donna. 

His Donna. 

He prayed on every star he knew that she was safe. 

“No?” The Master patted his cheek and pouted. “Pity. Oooh!” He spun round gleefully as a thought hit him. “I have a present for you! Do you want to see, Doctor?”

The Doctor remained silent, fixing the Master with an icy stare. 

“Really? Nothing. So rude. And here I thought we were friends.” The Master pushed the Doctor away from the window and into the centre of the room. 

The Doctor caught Francine’s eye from across the room. To his surprise she actually smiled weakly in his direction. There was almost pity in her expression. It was the first time she’d looked at him with anything more than disdain and condescension. Maybe he could count on her to be his ally during their time upon the Valiant together. It would be hard enough to stay positive without fighting amongst themselves. 

“You there!” The Master pointed to a nearby Toclafane. 

They spun excitably in their air. “Yes Master!” 

“Establish a visual connection with our friends in Chiswick.” The Master winked at the Doctor. 

His hearts almost stopped. 

Chiswick.

His eyes widened as he stared up at the other Time Lord. 

“Oh Doctor. You are going to love this!” He clapped his hands as the Toclafane projected an image of Donna’s house in front of him. 

Donna had her back to the Toclafane and was staring at a blank television set, sitting crosslegged on the floor. Wilf seemed to be trying to comfort her from his seat on the sofa. Even from across the room the Doctor could see he was injured. The left knee of his jeans was torn and bloody. Sylvia had similar tear on the shoulder to her arm. 

“No? Still nothing?” The Master pouted. “Give me an audio link and get us on the television.” He ordered. 

The television in Donna’s front screen crackled into life and the Doctor saw himself appear on the screen with the Master standing over his shoulder. He glowered at his reflection on the television. Did he really look so old?

“DOCTOR!” Donna cried and the camera spun moved so the Doctor could see her face. 

“Donna Noble. Do you like my friends?” The Master gave a little wave. 

“You can shove your robot friends up the…” 

“Ah ah ah!” The Master interrupted. 

The Doctor felt a swell of pride in his chest. Even cornered and trapped by her enemies Donna never lost her spark. 

“Now Doctor. Aren’t you going to say hello to your precious pet?” The Master patted him on the head. 

“Who are you calling pet?” Donna yelled and slammed her palms against the television. 

“Donna. It’s alright.” He croaked and tried to focus hard on sending comfort across the psychic link. 

“Oh. Oh. My dear Doctor.” The Master almost giggled in delight. “It’s not alright.”

The Doctor tore his eyes away from Donna and looked up at his friend who was grinning manically.

The grin disappeared in a flash as his eyes darkened and he glared at the screen. 

“Kill her.”

“No!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly! Sorry for the delay with this one. I'll try not to take so long next chapter... This whole global situation has just stripped me of my writing inspiration. Even pinning this down to proof read was a struggle so if you notice any errors (which you probably will tbh) please tell me and I'll edit but I didn't want to leave this another week. 
> 
> Secondly... Sorry for the cliffhanger? Trust me? You know I love them both and this story does have a (vaguely) happy ending. I have set up for a second story so hopefully that will turn up at some point but it's not started so it won't be for a while. 
> 
> Thirdly! Thanks for reading! And this chapter is dedicated to TennantDoctor (ten-out-of-tennant on Tumblr) because they drew some awesome DW/Witcher fan art and I got to see lots of previews and it was amazing!! :D 
> 
> Let me know what you think! I'll try and post the next chapter quicker than this one I promise! 
> 
> \- Yaz


	18. The Last of the Time Lords

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not going to lie... I've rushed through this a bit. I'm still mentally exhausted from life rn. I'm apparently a key worker and I still have to work and stuff so life has been... hard? So I've tried to proof read the best I can but I really just wanted to get this out there and the story finished! So I'm really sorry for any errors and stuff. Point them out and I'll go back and edit them :) 
> 
> Also!! I have read all the comments from the last chapter. Every single one filled me with joy. I know I haven't replied yet but I've not had much energy (pls see previous paragraph) I will reply to every single one soon! I promise but for now here's a general thank you!! The feedback on this fic has been phenomenal! I could not be more grateful :) 
> 
> Also Happy Birthday DT! I did not mean to finish the story on his birthday but I'm kind of glad I have because it feels right :) 
> 
> But I'll stop rambling now. Enjoy the last chapter!! I hope it lives up to the rest of the story!
> 
> Edit: If you haven't read/listened to The Story of Martha... I highly recommend it. I was gonna write from Martha's POV during the lost year but that book does it so well... I wouldn't change a thing. Also Freema reads the Audio book and it's amazing.

Time passed.

Slowly.

Every second was a grain of sand falling through the vortex. 

The timelines were still being poisoned by his own beloved Tardis, swirling around him in a haze. 

He couldn’t see. 

He couldn’t think. 

Pain tore through his hearts like a kraken tears through the hull of a ship, splintering the fragments of his love into piercing shards of grief. 

And this old body of his wasn’t much use anymore. All he could do was sit in his chair and witness the end of the Earth. 

He didn’t want to do anything else.

Why would he?

It would have been kinder to let him die. 

The Master had shattered his soul, forcing him to watch his partner die, watch as she was torn apart by the monsters that he had made. He had sensed the very second when Donna had taken her last breath. He’d been in agony as the Toclafane had tortured her and her family, then in one almost precious silent second, he’d been released. The pain let him go and there was nothing. He was alone in his mind and soul once more. 

And then the grief had gripped his hearts in unbreakable chains. 

She was gone.

Gone.

How could she be gone?

The woman with so much fire in her soul, so much love and compassion, who’d matched him with every turn and every breath. 

Gone. 

Luckily the Master hadn’t appeared to have noticed his physical pain whilst Donna was being killed slowly and painfully on the screen on front of him. The murderous Time Lord had been too gleeful over the mental torture of making him watch his best friend die, it meant that the Master had not quite understood the depth of feelings between the two of them or the link they shared. If the Doctor’s plan was successful then the Master would never understand what Donna really meant to him. That would make her and her family less of a target…

If it worked. 

It just had to work. 

She couldn’t really be gone. 

Dead.

Anything the Master had tried to do to him after that was child’s play. 

Yes he’d pitied Jack as he’d watched him being tortured and killed over and over but he didn’t react. He had no more rage to give the Master. All he could do was try and comfort his old friend when he gasped a breath and came back to life. 

Yes he felt sorry for Martha walking the Earth, all alone and putting her life at risk with every step she took. 

He even had built up a tentative friendship with her family, on his less grief stricken days and when the Master was distracted by some power hungry scheme. 

But it didn’t hurt him any more. 

He was numb.

And she was gone. 

He stared out the window at the strange dystopian land that the Earth had become. It was unrecognisable. Toclafane swarmed in the air and patrolled the streets on the Master’s orders. There were no cars, no people in the streets. It was a ghost planet. 

“Admiring my handiwork, old friend?” The Master put his hand on the Doctor’s shoulder. 

He didn’t react. The Master didn’t deserve the attention. 

The Master sighed dramatically. “Oh come now, Doctor, it’s been long enough now. Almost a year! Wow. Doesn’t time fly? Ha! Oh but talk to me. I’m sorry.” He knelt down in front of the Doctor’s chair and pouted. 

The Doctor almost wanted to laugh. Did the Master really think it would be so easy to forgive him?

“Did I kill the wrong pet?” He asked with a tilt of his head. 

“They are not pets.” He spat out. “They are human beings, innocent people. My friends.”

The Master jumped up with a gleeful smile on his face. “Ahah! You do know how to speak! I thought you might have forgotten, I thought you’d gone senile in your old age.”

The Doctor sighed and stared back out of the window, wishing that Donna was still down there walking the Earth with Martha Jones. Martha deserved her friendship now more than ever. 

“No no no. We’re not going back to silence. Look, my bad. I killed one human. Well, way more than one but obviously that one was special but we’re friends you and I. Last of the Time Lords, together eh?” The Master gripped the Doctor’s hands in his, and the Doctor could feel the power of his mind pressing against his defences. He grimaced. It had been too long since he’d had to defend his mind from a powerful telepath like the Master.

“She was family.” He replied through gritted teeth.

“Oh ho! Family!” The Master giggled. “Oh Doctor, you cad! I had no idea. Did you actually love her? A human?” 

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “You’re married.”

“Well. Yes. Yes. I see your point but really, I was stranded on Earth for eighteen months until you turned back up actually knowing who I was, what was I meant to do?” The Master clapped his hands together. “No but really? Did you love her?” 

He didn’t answer. 

“Oh you are no fun! Why do I even keep you around?” The Master glared and pulled his laser screwdriver from his pocket, aiming it at the Doctor. “Perhaps I should let you join your pet.” The Master spat the last word out in disgust. 

The Doctor raised he chin and stared down his oldest friend. “Her name was Donna.” 

He winced as his hearts clenched in his chest. 

The past tense always tripped him up. 

He just couldn’t believe she was gone. 

There was a trickle of hope that he tried so desperately not to think about. If Martha succeeded in her task, if he could fix his Tardis…

It was all ifs and circumstances. 

But if it worked. 

He let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes. 

_Spaceman _Donna’s voice was in his head, a figment of his imagination and grief. 

_Bella Donna. _He mentally sighed as he let the fiction wash over him, to soothe the numbness in his hearts. 

_You can’t keep doing this. _She chided but if he concentrated hard enough then he could almost feel her fingers brushing against his cheek. 

_I know. _He agreed sadly. _But what else can I do?_

_Move on. _She instructed and whispered his name causing his hearts to flutter in his chest. It was a painful reminder just how much he was dreaming her voice. His Donna didn’t know his name, they’d never had the chance to have their Gallifreyan styled wedding and formalise their mental bond. He loved imagining the sound of his name falling off her lips but it was just another thing that would never happen, that could never happen. 

Unless. 

No. 

He couldn’t hope. 

If he lost that hope it would destroy him. 

“Are you even listening to me?” The Master snapped at him with a dramatic wave of his hands. 

The Doctor blinked as he returned back to his chair on the Valiant. The Master was peering at him angrily, the laser screwdriver still in his hands. He chuckled darkly. He was still alive then. The Master had threatened to kill him more times than he could count over the last year upon the Valiant, he never fought these threats and yet the Master had never seriously tried. 

Perhaps the Master wanted the him to fight. 

But there was very little fight left in him and he had to save it for Martha Jones. She deserved that much. 

He just needed confirmation that she was back in the country. He needed to know it was time to start their fragile plan rolling. It can’t take her much longer than a year. She should be back soon enough. 

He hoped. 

This old body was slowly beginning to fail him, and if he were being truly honest with himself, his will to keep breathing every day was almost gone. 

He sighed shakily. 

The fate of the world really did depend on Martha Jones. 

* * *

The Doctor wheezed as the fabric of his suit encased him. It was a lot heavier when you were barely the size of a human toddler. He blinked in the darkness of the tent that now lay on top of him. He still felt like himself, that was a good sign. His hearts fluttered like a hummingbird in his chest. He took a deep breath and then sighed as he let his mind adjust to his new body. It wasn’t like regeneration, he was definitely still him. No strange cravings or an inexplicable need to change his clothes. 

He groaned internally. His clothes. He’d never find a pinstriped suit to fit him like this. It was worse than he’d expected. He’d known his plan to get the laser screwdriver would fail, he’d counted on it. He’d needed to get a message to Martha Jones that he was still alive. Donna’s life depended on it, her’s and the rest of humanity, and the best way to get that message to Martha was by making the Master angry. He hadn’t told the Jones’ family or Jack that he expected the plan to fail. He knew they wouldn’t agree to the plan otherwise, they needed the hope that it would work. He’d been relying on the Master’s refusal to kill him, despite all the threats, and he’d been right. 

He hadn’t quite anticipated this though.

The pain had been almost as bad as regeneration as Lazarus’s technology ripped through his cells and morphed his body into its new shape but he held back his screams as much as he could. 

For Donna. 

He needed to stay strong and focussed. It was her only hope. 

Still he couldn’t help some of the strained noises that had escaped his lips, he only hoped that Martha would hear them and know he was still alive, despite the pain. 

“Doctor?” The Master asked, sounding almost concerned. 

He pushed himself up and tried to shake the heavy fabric from off his small and frail body. It was no use. He had to find the opening of his shirt. The silence in the room was tangible and he could feel the eyes of everyone in the room bearing down on him as he broke free from his prison. The light was too bright and burned his retinas. He could even smell the disgust coming from his old friend and they realised what had become of him. 

“Received and understood, Miss Jones?” The Master said to the camera bitterly before turning the camera off. 

The Doctor almost smiled in relief. 

Almost.

It was difficult to do in this new old body of his, but the first stage of his plan had worked. The Master had done exactly what he had predicted his old friend would do. It would bring Martha Jones back to the Valiant and he could save his universe. 

* * *

Martha Jones had experienced a lot over the last year. She’d seen more of the Earth that she had ever thought was possible to see in just one year. Everywhere she went she shared her stories of the Doctor, some with Donna, some without. It was difficult to talk about the Doctor and Donna Noble without making the whole story seem like one gigantic romcom and that really wasn’t the point of her stories. She needed the world to see the Doctor as a hero, as the hope they needed to survive this terrible existence. So she had a tendency to focus on the adventures without Donna. The ones she had when Donna had stayed home with her father. There weren’t as many as she’d had with the pair of them but they were brilliant, and through her eyes the Doctor became almost untouchable, legendary. 

He was more human with Donna. 

Well, not human exactly, he was still a Time Lord, but it was the only word she could think of to really describe it. 

He became softer, warmer, closer. More approachable rather than the great lofty Time Lord that he liked to portray. 

But it was the figure head that Martha needed for her stories. 

She tried not to exaggerate too much, to be as honest as possible in her story telling, but it wasn’t always easy. Occasionally, in her stories, the Doctor would wait right until the very last possible moment to save the day when in reality he had whirled through the story like a hurricane and known exactly the right time to fix things. Of course, half the time they actually had waited until the very last possible moment so Martha didn’t feel too bad about lying a little the other half of the time, and Martha knew that the people needed hope. It was already past the last possible moment for a lot of them so she had to make it seem like this was the Doctor’s plan all along. 

She sighed as she began to tell, what would likely be her last story. She smiled as she caught Tom’s eye. She hadn’t expected him. Out of all the things she’d seen and done in her life, Tom Milligan had caught her by surprise. He was many things, but most importantly he was kind. The world was falling apart at the seams and this clever, funny, handsome man was still kind. 

She’d expected more humans to turn on each other. Their solidarity had been unexpected. Perhaps the Toclafane had accidentally killed the worst ten percent of humanity in their initial cull of the population, because God knows Martha knew that humanity could be unbelievably cruel in their nature. 

Maybe after this was done, she would be able to find Doctor Milligan again. 

If it all worked. 

The room fell silent as they listened to her story. It had been unsettling at first to be the centre of attention when she spoke. She was so used to being in the background, letting the Doctor take charge, or Donna blazing through the room with her shouting and fiery hair. Whilst she certainly did get a certain amount of attention throughout the stars, it wasn’t nearly as much as her two friends. So when all eyes were suddenly on her, it was all quite overwhelming. Of course after taking her stories all over the world, she’d gotten used to it. She actually began to really quite enjoy the sensation. She was starting to realise why people became actors or musicians or poets. The rapt attention was addictive, knowing that what you said mattered to people, that people cared. 

Of course she had no sudden plans to change her intended career path. She was going to be a Doctor. The only reason she was telling these stories was to help people. She would continue to help people once the Earth was, hopefully, restored. 

There was one thing that was bugging her though. 

It had been since she’d started her walk of the Earth, and at least once a day her thoughts would return to it. 

There had been no sign of Donna.

The Doctor told her to find Donna and make this journey together. One of the first places she’d been was Donna’s house in Chiswick. It had been a like something out of horror movie. The walls and carpets were all torn up, sliced to shreds, and there wasn’t a single inch on the wall that wasn’t covered in blood. 

Martha had promptly thrown up all over the floor when the stench of death had hit her. She was normally better at compartmentalising but this was her friend’s house. There was no doubt that Donna’s family had fallen victim to the Toclafane, but surely Donna would have escaped. After everything they’d been through together Martha couldn’t imagine that Donna wouldn’t have been able to escape. 

Or perhaps the Master had taken her friend captive, like Martha’s family. She laughed at that thought. The Master would not have been prepared for Donna Noble, but she’d seen no sign of her on the Master’s broadcast. None of the Toclafane had ever mentioned her. None of the people she had visited seemed to know of her either, so Martha doubted that Donna was travelling the Earth separately to Martha. 

Of course there was a third option. One that Martha didn’t want to consider. One that would have broken the Doctor. One that meant even he would have lost all hope in the universe. 

She frowned and shook her head, trying to focus on her own story. It was her own fault for choosing one she’d told far too many times. She didn’t even need to think about the words properly anymore, allowing too much time for her mind to wander. 

But of course, as if the universe was listening to her thoughts, her story was interrupted. A woman burst through the doors in panic and the crowd around her parted to let the woman through.

“It’s him! It’s him! Oh my God! It’s him!” The woman shouted and nobody needed to asked who she was talking about, the panic in her voice made the clear enough, but still she seemed unable to help herself. “The Master! He’s here!”

Martha felt her blood run cold. She’d known he would come for her but there was still no guarantee that he wouldn’t just kill her on the spot. She closed her eyes and thought of the Doctor and Donna. Not old or dead, but alive and laughing, sparkling with happiness and love as they ran around the Tardis console in perfect harmony; her two best friends. She thought of her family, working together for the first time since she was a kid, hoping that whatever hell they were experiencing at the hands of the Master might just bring them together in a way that Martha had thought was never going to be possible. She thought of her job and her colleagues, of the lives she had saved, or would save if she ever finished her exams. She would become Doctor Martha Jones, her dream since she was a little girl. 

But first, she had to survive the Master. 

* * *

Martha realised, as she threw her rucksack at the Master’s feet, with some tingling feeling of smugness, that he was afraid of her. The mighty Time Lord, Master of the Earth, was afraid of her. She’d been surprised when he’d not let her pass the rucksack into his hands. Did he really expect her to kill him? Did he really think that the Doctor would ask her to do that for him? She almost wanted to laugh. She was a doctor not a soldier. If anyone was going to kill the Master it would be Jack and his Torchwood friends, or even UNIT. She’d heard quite a bit about UNIT in her travels and killing the Master seemed like exactly the sort of thing they would do.

Still, it was almost nice to be feared by one so powerful. There was a level of respect to it that Martha had not expected. She had expected to be treated as the Master’s plaything, like a pet, of course now that he had destroyed her rucksack and the weapon that lay hidden inside, there was still time to be dismissed. Her suspicions were almost immediately confirmed as he pointed his laser screwdriver at her gleefully. 

This was it. 

This was the end of her journey. She only hoped that she’d done enough when the time came and the Doctor would be freed from his prison. As long as she was on Earth when the Doctor destroyed the paradox machine, then she would be safe. She probably wouldn’t even remember any of this hell she’d been through. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She had learned a lot about herself this last year. She had pushed her body to its limits, both mentally and physically. She’d been stuck in labour camp for months, carrying out mindless tasks during the day, then at night she’d forced herself to stay awake to share her stories. She’d met so many incredible people on her travels around the Earth, some not so incredible but that had forced her to become a pillar of strength. She no longer doubted herself as she had before. She was Martha Jones and she deserved to be seen, she deserved to achieve her goals no matter what anyone else might say.

But that was not meant to be. 

She would die here at the hands of the Master, in the hope that her friend would save them all. 

She raised her chin and stood up straight. She wouldn’t cower now. She would look death in the eyes and she would welcome it. 

She just hoped that it would be quick.

“No!” Tom’s voice. 

She turned around, startled by her newest friend’s shout. He came bursting through the door with his gun raised and pointed at the Master. Her heart sunk. She knew what was coming before Tom did. The Master changed him aim and pressed down on his screwdriver. A beam of golden light flew from the tip of the screwdriver and hit Tom squarely in the chest. His body spasmed as the alien technology burnt through his veins and then he dropped to the ground. 

Dead. 

Martha took a deep, shaky breath. It never got any easier. Tom was not the first person to die for her, but he would be the last. It had been one of the more difficult realisations of her journey, how many people would sacrifice themselves for her. Each death weighed in her heart like a lead balloon, and at times it felt like she was Atlas himself, carrying the weight of the heavens on her shoulders. She tore her eyes away from Tom’s dead body and focussed back on the Master with a grimace. 

She often wondered if this is how the Doctor felt every time someone died so he could live. No wonder he seemed so tired all of the time. 

The Master’s weapon was now fixed back onto her, but the killing shot never came. His voice was sinister, and almost gleeful, when he decided that the Doctor should witness her death. She was to be taken up to the Valiant. 

She frowned, so maybe she would keep her memories after all. 

She still wasn’t sure how she felt about that. 

* * *

The Doctor looked out from his cage as Martha Jones was brought aboard the Valiant. He held tightly onto the bars as he watched her look around the room. The Master, ever the dramatist, had ensured all of Martha’s friends had gathered to greet her. He’d grimaced when Jack had first been brought into the room. The Master had forced the Doctor to watch Jack die more times than he could count but the man’s spirit never seemed to break. It was all an act of bravado but it was strangely comforting. It eased the Doctor’s guilt somewhat. He knew that this last year had all been his fault, that he was destroying the lives of those he loved. They were experiencing things that no loving person should ever have to witness, and it was all because of him. Jack’s mask had fallen slightly after he’d enquired about Donna. The Doctor hadn’t been able to answer properly. He’d just about managed a shake of his head whilst his hearts screamed out in pain. 

Jack had seemed genuinely put out by that but they’d never talked about it again, something that the Doctor was grateful for. The memory of his best friend was too much, too bright and warm in the midst of his grief. 

Martha caught his eye as she was marched into the centre of the room. He didn’t have any sort of mental link with Martha but he knew her well enough to communicate across the room. Her eyes flickered across the faces of her friends and then back to him and she raised a questioning eyebrow. 

Where was Donna?

His hearts clenched in his chest and he gripped the bars of his cage even tighter as he shook his head. Her eyes widened in shocked and she seemed to struggle to process what he was telling her as she turned back to face the Master. 

_Spaceman. _

He started at the sound of Donna’s voice in his mind and squeezed his eyes shut. Why couldn’t she just let him grieve in peace? Then again, she did always threaten to haunt him if he got her killed. He’d never really believed in ghosts before this year, but if anyone could change his mind it would be Donna Noble. 

“Go away.” He grumbled under his breath. He saw the Master’s eyes flicker over to his cage. The other Time Lord looked a little confused by his sudden outburst, but not at all concerned. As far as the Master was aware, he’d won. 

_Spaceman, don’t ignore me now. _Donna’s voice insisted. 

_You’re not even here. _He grumbled back. _You’re dead Donna. _

_I know. _She whispered, just an echo in his mind. _But you’ll save me. _

He closed his eyes and let her voice comfort him. If he tried hard enough she could still imagine the feel of her lips on his, the feel of her skin under his fingers, her soft vanilla scent calling him to her, calling him home. _What if I can’t? _

_You will. _She insisted. _Otherwise it will be more than just me haunting you. The Earth will fall. _

He sighed and shook off the dream. Donna was right. He owed it to humanity to save them. This was bigger than Donna Noble. This was bigger than his own broken hearts. He’d suffered broken hearts before and he’d always been able to move on. Although most of the time it did take a regeneration to fully heal the pain, sometimes even that wasn’t enough. The hurt of losing Gallifrey was one that not even regeneration could fix. 

When he returned to the room the Master was, unbelievably still talking. The rhythmic beeping of a countdown was now buzzing in the background. The Doctor glanced up at the digital clock on the wall, just over two minutes left. He assumed the countdown was for the nuclear launch and the start of the great war that Earth would start with the stars. 

The Master was pointing his infernal laser screwdriver at Martha as she knelt on the floor. The Doctor’s eyes widened. If Martha died on the Valiant then he would never be able to save her. His only hope now was that her message had spread far enough around the globe for the telepathic waves to take effect and his body would begin to heal itself. 

“And so it falls to me, as Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords.” The Master announced pompously, his voice full of grandeur and arrogance. The Doctor grinned as he saw Martha begin to laugh. Oh she was good. She knew the Master would never be able to resist. He was, after all, a Time Lord, and the species was known for their endless curiosity. It would buy her the time she needed to survive. “From this day forward…” 

Her laughter increased so that even the Master had been distracted from the sound of his own voice. 

“What? What’s so funny?” He snapped at the doctor to be. 

The Doctor watched the countdown as Martha laughed about the ridiculousness of the gun that had been created to kill the Master. It ticked closer and closer to zero. Every second that past was second that would bring him back to Donna, if it all worked. He’d tried not to hope. Every second that he’d been trapped on this ship he hadn’t let himself hope but now it was too late. He was already beginning to feel energy flow through his veins. It wasn’t painful, not like regeneration energy. Instead it sort of tickled. The mental defences of his mind were lowered as he let the telepathic call of the human race embrace him. He only grimaced slightly when he felt the bitterness of the Tardis mixed in amongst all the tiny brilliant human minds. 

“A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on, did you really believe that?” Martha laughed. 

The Doctor watched the Master’s reaction carefully, noting with pride that he was afraid. He’d been so confident in his plan to send the human race, in the form of the Toclafane, to war, that he hadn’t even considered Martha Jones and her travels around the Earth to be a serious threat. It had been a source of endless annoyance to know that one of the Doctor’s friends had remained free and alive but he hadn’t really believed she could do any damage, but oh how wrong was he? The Doctor grinned in his cage. It was the first genuine smile he had since, well since the beginning. 

“What do you mean?” The Master snapped, unable to stop the fear from seeping into his voice. 

“As if I would ask her to kill.” He answered, as always surprised by how much his voice still sounded like him. 

The Master shot him a glare that would have killed him if such things were possible. 

“Oh well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her.” The Master grumbled like a petulant child. 

The Doctor smiled to himself, and so did he. Martha Jones back on the Valiant, ready to save the world and humanity. 

He could barely hear the rest of the conversation as voices filled his mind, calling out his name. Well, his chosen name. He’d be slightly concerned if the whole of humanity had known his true name, but his chosen name was enough. The intent behind the thought was specific enough that there was no doubt about who the thoughts were calling out to. He took a deep breath as he felt life return to his body. The shackles of the laser screwdrivers technology were shaken off and the Master hadn’t even realised. 

“And that word is Doctor.” Martha’s voice joined the billions of voices in his head. 

Oh the power was bursting from him now. He knew it would be brilliant, if the plan worked, but he could never imagined this. Was this how Rose had felt as the Bad Wolf? He could sense reality bending to his will, fed by the combined force of humanity and the Archangel Network. He focussed the energy on the cage around him as his tiny fragile body lifted into the air and began to grow. The suit, which had been cut from his old beloved brown pinstriped suit, grew with him and he imagined his shirt and tie back into existence. He couldn’t save the world without being suitably dressed, and he had to look his best for his Donna. 

She was so close now, he could almost feel her again. 

_Not long now, Time Boy. _She giggled in his mind.

_Not now. _He chided his own mind and silenced Donna’s voice, far more easily than would have been possible if she was actually here. 

The Master finally noticed him as the cage faded into dust and he grew back into his own body. “Stop it. No, no, no, no, you don’t.” He pointed, fear now not even hidden on his face. 

The whole room began to chant his name as he landed back on the ground. His body still felt old but that was alright, it was only the beginning. The magic, for that was the best word for it, was stronger now the countdown had finished. He was growing more powerful with every second that passed, reality was his to control and he would save his beloved surrogate planet and the human race that he so adored. 

“I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices.” He explained to his oldest friend as he slowly stood up properly. He didn’t need the chair anymore. Not even with this older body, he felt young again. Now if he could just get his hair to grow back, then all would be well. 

“I order you to stop!” The Master yelled but it was no good. The Doctor now had control of the Archangel Network and the Master’s grip on humanity was failing fast. 

The Doctor noticed that even Lucy seemed to be released from his spell. He wondered how much she had been hypnotised by the other Time Lord, he had always been the proficient at that. She was praying along with the rest of the world now, feeding into the power that now flowed through him. The light that surrounded his body was electrifying and addictive. He knew that he would have to let it go soon, no one should have that much power, not even him, especially not him. It would be much better suited to someone of Martha’s temperament but she didn’t have the telepathic ability that was key to making this whole scheme work. 

“The one thing you can't do.” He said as his felt a tickle on his scalp as he appearance morphed back to his usual self and his hair flopped back in front of his eyes. “Stop them thinking.” 

Even he could hear the voice of the Oncoming Storm leak into his voice, the voice of a man that even the Daleks feared. He struggled with the power. He so wanted to let it consume him. This man, this… insect, had taken everything from him, he’d harnessed the worst of humanity and made them pawns in his sick and twisted game of chess. He’d ripped the Doctor’s family from him and tortured his friends. He’d cannibalised his Tardis. His poor beloved ship that had been with him since his first day of running from Gallifrey. 

He’d tortured and killed his mate.

And had the audacity to make him watch. 

The Doctor’s fingers itched as the power quivered beneath his skin. All it would take was one thought, a tendril of energy wrapped around the Master’s throat until not even regeneration could save him. Time Lords were easy to kill if you knew how, and the Doctor had killed them all with just one breath, one push of the button.

He clenched his hands into a fist at his side. 

No.

He had to fight it. 

He could not let this rage consume him anymore. 

He was a doctor. 

He was the Doctor. 

And he had a very sick planet to heal. He loved humanity, he loved the Earth, he loved his friends, and they needed him. He focussed on the sound of their laughter, letting their love and hope wash over him through the matrices of the Archangel Network. It didn’t stop his anger but it lessened it just enough for him to see through his power-hungry madness that was threatening his whole moral compass. 

He let their love lift his feet back off the ground as he accepted its power and let his flow freely through his veins. “Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this.”

His hands were glowing as he used them like thrusters to balance himself in the air, it was more difficult to control the power surges in his body now he was in the air. It would be so easy to just fly through the roof but he kept the power wrapped tightly around his body as he levitated towards the Master, who was quite rightly cowering in front of him. 

“No!” He shouted and fired his screwdriver right at the Doctor’s chest. The Doctor didn’t need a psychic link to know those shots should have killed him. The Master was no longer playing with him like a cat would with a mouse. He was out for blood. 

The Doctor focussed on the shield that surrounded his body, pouring more of the energy into protecting himself. The two blasts bounced off the shield easily and hit the walls of the room. He barely even felt a shockwave from the beams of light.

Oh Martha Jones, she had done phenomenally well. 

He owed her a trip of a lifetime and a banana milkshake from the best diner in the universe. 

But right now, on the Valiant, the Master, his oldest friend, was falling apart. His plans were crumbling around him and very soon, the Doctor hoped, the Earth would be returned to its usual state. It would hurt the Master but it was necessary. There was a small part of him that wished he didn’t have to take arms against the other Time Lord. He did care about his old friend. He still hoped that one day they could be friends again. 

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.” He said sadly, and he meant it. He really didn’t mean to break the Master’s hearts but there was really no other way. 

The Doctor easily predicted the Master’s next words but they still made him roll his eyes. “Then I'll kill them.” His friend spat out and aimed the screwdriver at Martha and her family.

He swiped the weapon from the Master’s hands without any effort. The energy that rippled under his skin reached out and grabbed the small pencil-like device as if it were his own hands. The screwdriver clattered to the ground and rolled away from the Master. 

“You can't do this. You can't do it. It's not fair!” The Master shouted and stamped his foot. 

This Master had wanted to be young like the Doctor. The old man that the Doctor had met at the end of the universe had faded away and this younger man had stepped out in his place. The Doctor had often wondered, in the last year or so, whether the older version of the Master had meant for his personality to become so childlike to match his younger exterior or whether that had been a miscommunication in the middle of regeneration. It wasn’t easy to control when the power took over. It took a very skilled mind to completely control the regeneration. The Doctor had very little control over his own regenerations. He sort of liked the surprise and learning his new body and personality. On occasion he would try to cater to his companion’s needs if they were with him throughout the process, like he had done with Rose, but it wasn’t easy and often backfired. He would be the first to admit that this current body fell in love far too easily and often distracted his friends and companions. 

Honestly did everyone have to kiss him?

He’d never had that before. 

Not even his eighth self had this much attention. 

But at least he hadn’t regenerated into a Time Lord with the maturity levels of a human child. 

“And you know what happens now.” He floated closer to his friend. 

Ok. Maybe he wasn’t much better. He knew what he had to say would frustrate the other Time Lord to no end, and it wasn’t exactly true either. There were some things that not even he could forgive, but it was necessary to begin the process of teaching the Master that he could be good. He could be something other than a tool for chaos and destruction. 

“No!” He screamed and stepped back down the stairs. “No! No! No!” The blond yelled and shuffled further away from him in protest. 

“You wouldn't listen.” The Doctor almost grinned but he knew it would break the moment. He had to remain in control, but really this was all so much fun. Donna would be sad that she missed this. She’d been pissed off enough when she’d missed the Thespian’s overly dramatic speech and the Doctor knew he was doing a pretty good job of topping that. 

She would have teased the hell out of him for being an old man and then a tiny goblin-like figure. He suppressed a shudder. Thank the Tardis she hadn’t witnessed that, maybe he would forget to mention that particular part of the story once he managed to fix his Tardis and restore the timelines, bringing Donna back to him as time reversed. 

Hopefully. 

If this didn’t work then there would be hell to pay. 

And the Master would be the one to pay it, consequences be damned. 

Donna had to survive. She had to, she just had to. 

“No!” The Master repeated, sounding a little bit like a broken record. 

“Because you know what I'm going to say.” The Doctor continued to edge closer to his friend as the blond Time Lord pressed against the wall. 

The Doctor almost felt sorry for him. He let his feet touch the ground as he let go of the power that had been carrying him. He was restored to his former self. He didn’t need the telepathic energy any longer. He resisted sighing as he felt the energy trickle out from his body as he let it go. The glow around his body faded and he wrapped his arms around the Master. 

And for the first time in years, he let the Master into his mind. The other Time Lord had been completely unprepared for the Doctor to make contact and the Doctor felt his surprise as their minds connected. The Master had been trying to establish this connection from the moment the Doctor had arrived on the Valiant, and the Doctor had blocked him every time. 

“I forgive you.” He whispered into the air, echoing the sentiment mentally as he held his oldest friend in his arms. He hoped that the Master wouldn’t feel the lie, because the Doctor did forgive him for many of the events that had happened. 

There was only one thing that he could never forgive. 

The Master sobbed in his arms, like the child he was, but the sobs didn’t hide the curious surprise in the Master’s mind. 

_She was your mate? _He asked mentally. 

The Doctor blinked as he realised his mistake. He had never meant to let that particularly bit of knowledge through. He’d forgotten how quick the Master’s mind was, how easily he could rifle through into his deepest secrets. The Doctor through the other man out of his mind and pushed his barriers up, stronger than ever before. 

But it was too late. 

He knew. 

“My children.” The Master choked out aloud. The vulnerability in his voice gave the Doctor pause. Did this mad man of a Time Lord actually care for the Toclafane? 

It was poetic in a way. The Doctor loved the very best of humanity, his chosen friends and their families. He did love the wider species too but he could easily acknowledge the flaws of the species. Even his friends had a tendency to judge too quickly, to fear those who were so obviously different, but humans overall took it to a whole new level, and the Master loved it. The Master loved the very worst of humanity. Those who were so desperate at the end of everything that they turned on not only themselves but their own ancestors, happily massacring their own past to ensure their survival. 

He made the Doctor feel sick, but there was part of him, a very small part, that understood that desperation. He’d been the last of his kind for so long. It was a weight that tore into one’s soul and twisted and burnt the purity out of any hope that was left there. Some days it took every ounce of the Doctor’s resolve not to lash out at the universe for making him walk the stars alone. 

But he couldn’t.

He was better than that.

And he’d hoped, God he’d hoped, that humanity would be better too. It really had broken his hearts to know that after all this time he’d been wrong. 

At the sound of the Master’s cries, the Toclafane began to take action. He could hear their echoing commands over the intercom. They were flying back to Earth, back to the Valiant, back to his Tardis. Panic struck him as he realised there was still so much that could go wrong. They couldn’t get to the paradox machine. He had to fix it. He had to fix this. 

“Captain, the paradox machine!” He yelled at his friend. The Master was able to use his distraction to grab Jack’s vortex manipulator and the Doctor was too thick, too slow, to notice. “No!” He cried, but it was too late. His stomach felt like it was being wrung out and his head began to throb as the Valiant disappeared from sight. 

He bit down on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from vomiting as gravelled Earth appeared beneath him. He grimaced and scrambled to his feet. There wasn’t time to allow the travel sickness of the vortex manipulator so he pushed through it to face the Master, who seemed completely unfazed by his journey. It was almost laughable. Of course the Master wasn’t affected by the cheap way to travel. He probably thrived on it. The blond was standing up tall, facing out towards the miles of rockets ready to launch, ready to attack the nearby alien civilisations that would have no warning of an attack from this seemingly primitive planet. 

It was cowardice. 

The Doctor took a deep breath as the dark clouds swirled up in the sky. He wondered if he’d accidentally caused the storms when he’d been high on the power of the Archangel Network. They called him the Oncoming Storm for a reason, and it was likely that energy had been able to influence the weather around the planet. 

“Now it ends, Doctor. Now it ends.” The Master cried triumphantly. 

The sirens of the thousands of rocket ships blared across the shipyard. The ground was shaking underfoot as they prepared to launch. The Doctor stared out in horror. He thought he’d stopped this. He was sure he’d managed to stop this, it wasn’t right! He just hoped Jack to get through to the Tardis in time. He just needed to make sure he was on the Valiant with the Master when it happened. 

* * *

Martha Jones was staring out of the window is dismay. The Master had called the Toclafane back to Earth and they were heading straight towards the Valiant. Captain Jack Harkness was doing his best to fight his way to the Tardis but it was almost impossible that he would make it in time. Even if he did manage to fight his way through the small number of spheres that were still on board the ship and get into the sick time machine, what would he do. The Doctor had said that they couldn’t touch the paradox machine, that it was too dangerous. Jack was immortal but that wouldn’t be much help if he’d never even existed. 

Martha let the adrenaline rush in her body take over. She was so tired. Every muscle in her body ached and she would honestly kill for a long hot bath right now but she couldn’t. She had to keep fighting. The Doctor was God knows where with the Master and she was waiting, like a sitting duck, to be slaughtered by the Toclafane. 

She’d faced death many times over the last year. She would almost say that death was an old friend now, at least a casual acquaintance, but here, on the Valiant. That death was final. She knew a little of the Doctor’s plan. She wasn’t sure how it would work, she certainly hadn’t expected him to go all glowing angel of death on them when the countdown started but man was she happy to see him back to his old self. She knew that if he could break the paradox machine then there was a chance that time could be reversed. That no one on the planet below would have any memory of the events that had taken place over the last year. All the friends she had made would become perfect strangers. 

Even Tom. 

She couldn’t stop to think about that now though. Her family gathered around her as they watched the army of spheres fly towards them. No perception filter would save her now. They knew she was here and she couldn’t abandon her family for a second time. She would stand by their side as they fell. 

And by God was she scared. 

Her hands shook, from exhaustion and hunger and fear, but she couldn’t let it show. She looked down at the controls of the ship. Maybe she could drive it away from the spheres. It would be slow and they would never out fly the smaller, more dexterous enemies but it would buy them some time, precious seconds, maybe even minutes, to heal the sickness in the Tardis. Maybe the old ship even had some weapons of her own. She could fight back, but the controls all looked the same to her. She couldn’t drive this machine, not without help. She hit the console in frustration. Where was the Doctor when you needed him? Or even Donna. Donna had been able to fly the Tardis with some level of competency even without the Doctor’s help. Martha was seriously regretting not asking the Doctor to give her more Tardis lessons of her own. 

“We've all six billion spheres heading right for us.” She yelled out as she pushed a button that looked very much like an intercom. She sighed a breath of relief as she heard her voice echo in from the speakers above her head. With any luck the captain would have heard that, not that she particularly wanted to hurry him along, but she needed to hurry him along. 

“Martha!” Tish cried.

Martha turned to face her sister. She looked remarkably calm which disturbed her. This year with the Master had hardened her family, turned them into some kind of army. She’d know it was happening to herself but her family too? That wasn’t right. 

“I know Tish.” Martha yelled back over the sound of the alarms. “We just have to believe in him. It worked before, it has to work again. I don’t know what else to do.”

“Can we fight them?” Her mum asked with a cold expression on her face. 

Martha looked to her mother with a wounded expression. This was all her fault. Her family should never have been caught up with this. She should have known her adventures with the Doctor and Donna would come with a price, a price her family was now paying. “We might have to.” She admitted weakly. “But it won’t come to that.”

She hoped, but her words sounded flat, even to her. 

“Come on Doctor.” She whispered.

* * *

The Doctor’s vision exploded before his eyes and the ground shook them both to the ground. He felt the happy cry of his Tardis tickle in the back of his mind. She was free. Jack had done it. Time was swirling around them and his Tardis was mending the timelines, fixing the paradox that she had helped to sustain but it was too soon. He needed to be on the Valiant, the eye of the hurricane. He lunged for the Master and grabbed the vortex manipulator in his hands. His old friend was too taken off guard to fight back properly. The Doctor quickly entered the right coordinates and took a deep breath before he threw them both back through the vortex to the Valiant. 

His sickness didn’t hit him so hard this time but his head was still spinning when the harsh light of the Valiant appeared into view. It was like there was a storm inside the ship. Papers were flying everywhere and those on board where clinging onto rails and chairs, anything that would help them to stay grounded. He spotted Martha Jones with her family and he ran to her. Wrapping her up in his arms. She smiled brightly when she saw him. 

They had done it. 

People around him were screaming amongst the chaos. “Everyone get down! Time is reversing!” He yelled, trying to explain to those who hadn’t been warned in advance. 

Time was reversing. 

He just hoped it would be enough.

He mentally reached out to Earth, searching for the link that had been so quiet for so long now, searching for Donna, his mate, but it was still so quiet. 

His grief tore through his body again. He’d been so wrapped up in the plan that it had almost been pushed to the back of his mind but now the pain was back with a vengeance. He’d done all of this for her, for the chance to see her again and there was still that chance that it wouldn’t enough. Why was he never enough?

The Valiant stilled around them and fearful eyes looked around to see what damage had been done. Normally he would have stayed to ensure that everyone was safe, that he was right, maybe even gloat a bit about saving the day but not this time. His hearts were calling out, his soul was pulling him back to Earth. He had to go. He had to, he just had to. 

“Donna.” He gasped and sprinted from the room.

He was halfway to the Tardis when he ran into Jack. 

“Whoa there, Doctor, what’s the hurry?” Jack laughed as he caught him in his arms. 

“No time. Donna!” He said in a rush and tried to push the immortal’s arm off of him. 

“But what about the Master?” Jack said, holding him firmly in place. 

“Oh just keep him there. I’ll be back before you know it. Time machine remember?” The Doctor grumbled as he wiggled in Jack’s grip. “Now let me go!” 

Jack laughed but did as he was told. “Go get her Doctor!” 

* * *

Donna frowned as the television flickered into life. It was playing the news. The President of America was addressing the camera. Donna inhaled sharply. She hadn’t realised how much had passed. It was time for first contact. 

“My fellow Americans, patriots, people of the world. I stand before you today as ambassador for humanity, a role I will undertake with the utmost solemnity. Perhaps our Toclafane cousins can offer us much, but what is important is not that we gain material benefits, but that we learn to see ourselves anew.” The President said with all the arrogance that only an American politician can managed. “For as long as man has looked at the stars, he has wondered what mysteries they hold. Now we know we are not alone.”

Donna huffed under her breath. Most humans had no idea just how not alone they were, but these creatures, the Toclafane, were not the ones that Donna would choose to meet. She wasn’t even sure they were real aliens. She didn’t know why. There was just something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It was probably the Master’s involvement. 

The Toclafane predictably did not respond well to the President’s welcome. Donna and her family watched in horror as the Master stood up and announced his real name to world. 

“The Doctor will get him.” Gramps hissed and pointed at the screen.

Her mother swatted her father’s hand away. “Don’t be daft, Dad.” 

But Donna wasn’t listening because the Doctor was there. He was walking slowly around the outside of the room, away from Jack and Martha. Donna felt a bubble of hope in her heart as she saw her friends on the screen. 

“Spaceman.” She whispered and clutched the chain around her neck. 

The Doctor moved closer and closer to the Master. Never taking his eyes off of the man. Donna frowned. What was the idiot Martian up to? Was that a Tardis key in his hands? 

Sylvia let out a scream as the President was shot and disintegrated in a blaze of red light. 

And then nothing happened. 

The screen went blank and the Toclafane vanished from their living room.

And then her body erupted with pain. Her mind exploded with the most intense grief she had ever felt. It was like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over her and every cell in her body had gone numb whilst simultaneously being burnt by the fire from the hottest star.

She screamed and pressed her hands to her head. 

The pain seared through her temples. 

“DOCTOR!!” 

“Donna!” Her mum’s arms wrapped around her and she choked out a broken cry. 

What was happening to her? 

What was happening to the Doctor? He was in so much pain, it had to be, for her too feel it through the psychic link over such a wide distance. She gasped and clawed at the floor with her hands and the initial grief subsided.

And then there was hope? 

It bubbled up inside of her and she could almost feel the echo of his second heart in her chest. 

“Doctor.” She whispered breathlessly. 

She heard the familiar whir of the Tardis engines and he hauled herself to her feet. He was here! That meant it was alright, they were safe. It was all really rather anticlimactic but she didn’t care. They were safe. 

“DONNA!!” She heard him call from outside the house and she ran to him. 

“Donna!” Her mother echoed incredulously behind her. “Darling, what’s going on?”

Donna was out the house and across the street before she could even blink. The Tardis was parked haphazardly on the pavement but she barely noticed. She was running to the Doctor and his arms were already outstretched waiting for her embrace. 

She was in his arms and flying through the air before her heart could even take its next beat. She could still feel the echoes of his grief and his buried his face in her neck. 

“Donna, my Donna.” He mumbled, his voice full of emotion. 

“I’m here.” _I’m here. _

_Bella Donna. You’re alive. _

His mind was so entwined with hers that it was almost painful, he was struggling to keep all that Time Lord-ness out of her weaker human mind but she didn’t care. She could see he needed this. She let down all her mental defences and let him embrace her fully, both physically and mentally, only wincing slightly at the golden streams of time that appeared in her vision. 

_I love you. _She said soothingly in Gallifreyan. _I’m ok and I love you. _

She repeated this aloud, the alien language still feeling strange on her tongue. 

_My love, my Bella Donna. _He whispered weakly in Gallifreyan as he finally let her feet touch the pavement. She pulled away from his arms just enough so that she could see his tearstained cheeks. 

“What happened?” She whispered still in stilted Gallifreyan and brushed her fingers through his sideburns. 

He shook his head, not able to say the words but his memories flowed seamlessly into her mind and she felt her knees give out from underneath her. His arms were still around her waist and he stopped her from falling, lowering them both gently to the pavement whilst her head filled with a whole year of memories. 

She let out a cry once she returned to his arms. 

“Spaceman.” She whispered weakly in English this time. It was too much. No one should have to go through all of that alone. “I… I died.” Her voice cracked as she spoke.

He reached out to wipe the tears from her cheek. “I couldn’t save you. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” 

“But I’m alive. How am I alive?” She breathed even though she already knew the answer. She’d seen it, she’d witnessed it through him.

“I can’t lose you again.” He answered weakly and cupped her cheek. 

“You won’t.” She promised. “I’m here.”

“Marry me, Donna, please.” His voice cracked as he pleaded with her. 

She stared at him in surprise. That was unexpected to say the least. 

“What?”

“Please, I need…” He trailed off. _I need to…_

He was speechless but Donna could feel him. Their minds were still wrapped up so close that it was hard to tell where her mind ended and his began. He needed to bond with her, to be able to feel her and communicate across distances. He needed to know she was his, that he was hers. She hadn’t even realised how much he’d been suppressing his urges. He’d been so scared that she’d run from him. How had she missed this? She saw through all his lies and masks, but she’d missed that he was hiding this from her? Was this what had been bothering him since Morocco? 

“Come on.” She stood up and he grasped onto her arms to stop her from moving away. 

“I’m sorry. I’m. I didn’t. We don’t.” He stammered. 

She rolled her eyes and pulled him to his feet. “Come on!” She insisted and started pulling him back towards her house. 

_Donna? _He questioned weakly, her name almost like a prayer in his native tongue. 

_Trust me. _She replied in Gallifreyan, startling a little at the words. She had meant to reply in English. She couldn’t even remember learning the word for trust and yet she could picture the elegant circular script in her mind. 

He raised an eyebrow but followed her wordlessly into her house. 

“Donna!” Her mother cried as they reappeared in the lounge. “Doctor?”

“Hello Sylvia.” He gave a little wave, and Donna could feel his sudden apprehension trickle through the link. He wiped his eyes and Donna realised it was because he didn’t want her family to see that he’d been crying. 

_It’s ok, Spaceman. _She whispered quietly in the now familiar language of the Time Lords. _You’re family now. _

“What happened Doctor? Did you do it? Did you save us?” Her granddad asked, visibly shaking with excitement. 

The Doctor heaved a sigh and ran one hand through his hair. “Yeah. Yup. All good now. Crisis over. Well, almost. I do need to sort something out but it can wait for now.” 

Donna frowned. “What?”

_I have a time machine, love. _He reminded her. 

_Oh yeah. _She grinned back at him. 

“Look mum.” Donna said aloud. “I need to talk. You need to listen until I’m done.”

“I don’t think…” 

“No!” Donna snapped. “Please. This is very important.” 

Sylvia’s mouth snapped shut and she glared at Donna with the famed ferociousness of the Noble women. 

“Good. Now first things first. The Doctor is an alien. No shush. I’m not done. He’s a Time Lord, he has a time machine, it’s called the Tardis, Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. I’ve been travelling with him for over a year now, not four months. We’ve been dating for nearly six months now and honestly I’ve been madly in love with him for longer than that…” Donna shared a fond look with her Time Lord. 

_What are you doing, Bella Donna?_

_You’ll see, Time Boy. _

“Donna!”

“Mum shut up.” Donna glared at her mum until she was sure the blonde would stay silent. “I know this is hard to take in, and don’t blame Gramps but he already knows all of this, but I need you to do something for me. It’s important.”

“Can I talk now?” Sylvia snapped. 

Donna nodded. 

“Is it true?” Sylvia asked her granddad and the Doctor. Both men nodded. The Doctor looked like he was about to burst into a monologue but Donna shook her head. She knew her mother needed a moment to process the new information. “So that wasn’t a glare on the lens then?”

The Doctor chuckled. “No. No. A second sun. Beautiful planet two galaxies away.”

“What do you need?” Her mother asked, strangely calm to Donna’s surprise. 

“Your consent.” Donna said quietly. 

“To marry him?” 

“Yeah.” Donna smiled sheepishly and she was almost blinded by the Doctor’s joy as it flooded through the link. 

“Fine. If it’s important to you. I can’t fight you.” She sighed. “I don’t want to lose you, sweetheart. I’ll give my consent but you bring her back to me Doctor.”

“Of course.” He nodded with a dazzling grin. 

“So when’s the wedding?” Her granddad asked happily. 

“Now.” Donna laughed. “But we’ll do a proper human wedding later on if you’d like, but it doesn’t matter to me anymore. My last one didn’t work out so well.”

“NOW!?” Sylvia shrieked but Wilf was already there to calm her down. 

“What do you need, Doctor?” He grinned up at her mad alien fiancé.

The Doctor launched into a rushed explanation as to the process that needed to be followed. He pulled off his tie and wrapped it around his and Donna’s wrist, his eyes sparkling as their eyes met. His happiness was infectious and Donna couldn’t help but laugh. It was fast but she couldn’t regret this, how could she ever regret this? He told her mother the precise words that she needed to say to release Donna to him formally, allowing them to be bonded in the eyes of the Time Lords. 

Sylvia wiped tears from her own eyes as she repeated the words back, but there was a smile on her face. Donna was overwhelmed by the feelings that were rushing through her, both hers and the Doctor’s combined. 

And then the Doctor was kissing her. She hummed happily into the kiss which broke all too soon as his lips brushed along her cheeks, his breath warm as it tickled her ear. 

She swallowed nervously and closed her eyes as he whispered a word. 

One word.

A name.

His name.

And Donna’s mind felt like it was exploding. She could feel him everywhere. He was her blood. He was the beat of her heart. He was the soft sigh of her breath. She opened her eyes and met his gaze. The love in his eyes took away her breath and slammed her lips against his in a passionate kiss. 

She sighed his name in her mind, getting used to the cadence of it. Thankful that her Gallifreyan lessons had helped her get used to pronunciation of the alien language. 

_Donna. _He replied adoringly. 

She slowly untied their hands and reluctantly let go of him, breaking the contact that had been between them since they’d been reunited. 

_Spaceman? _She asked.

_Yes, my love? _He grinned. 

“I can hear you!” She cried and flung her arms around him. 

“Always.” He laughed and buried his face in her neck. “Thank you.”

“Oh don’t thank me, Alien Boy. I didn’t marry you as a favour. I needed this too.” She swatted him the arm.

“You can thank me though.” Sylvia grumbled but Donna knew she was just teasing. 

And then they enveloped in the embrace of her family. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Wilf was gleefully chattering about how his grandson-in-law was an alien and Sylvia couldn’t believe her daughter was finally married, although not exactly in the way she would have imagined. Donna couldn’t stopped smiling and she didn’t want to. Even though they no longer needed to be in contact for their bond to work, she didn’t let go of the Doctor’s hand. She knew how much he needed to feel her physically after spending a year thinking she was dead.

Which reminded her, he said he had some things to finish off. 

She brushed her fingers through his sideburns. “Doctor, we need to go.”

His eyes darkened as he understood her meaning. “Yeah.” He agreed sadly. 

“He can’t be allowed to go free.” She insisted. 

“Yes, I know that Donna, thanks.” He grumbled. 

“Oi! None of that.” She chided and ruffled up his hair. “Come on.”

“Stay here.” He pleaded.

“Not on your nelly. Now come on. Tardis!” She tried to pull him from the room but he was stronger than her. 

“I need you to stay here.” He insisted. 

“I need to come with you.” Donna countered. 

“What if he hurts you?” The Doctor asked with wide eyes. 

“He won’t.” She promised. “Spaceman, I’m not going to stop going on adventures with you because you’re worried about me getting hurt. I know the risks and I choose to go with you, willingly. I’m not staying in the Tardis because of some complex you’ve got about me dying. Now come on! Get a shuffle on!” 

_You’re impossible. _He growled in her mind. 

_Nah, just a bit unlikely. _She teased. 

* * *

Martha Jones was doing the one thing she had never expected to be doing. 

She was helping the Master. 

The gunshot had taken them all off guard. Nobody had spotted little Lucy Saxon at the back of the room with a pistol in her hand. The Master was wriggling in Jack’s arms one moment jabbering on about how he would be back for the Doctor, the last of the Time Lords were each other’s destiny and no one could deny him. He was destined to be the Master of this planet, of the universe, and then the next moment he’d fallen to the floor as blood seeped through his shirt. 

Martha didn’t think. 

She didn’t have time to think. She knew that the Doctor wouldn’t want this. She had to save him. She desperately wracked her brain for everything she’d learnt at medical school. Stop the bleeding, try and make sure he didn’t go into shock, was the bullet still in his body…

Did any of that even matter?

Couldn’t he regenerate?

She kept her hands pressed down on the wound to try and stop the bleeding and prayed that the Doctor would be back soon. Where else was she supposed to find an expert in Time Lord biology? He’d promised Jack that he’d be back before they knew he was gone. 

“Stay with me!” She yelled at the dying Time Lord on the floor beneath her fingers. “Don’t you dare die!”

The Master laughed weakly. “Martha Jones. You do surprise me.”

“Yeah, well, I surprise myself, daily. Can’t you just regenerate?” She muttered. 

“I tortured your family. I killed Jack over and over again. I treated your precious Doctor like an animal.” He coughed and groaned. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t.” Martha hissed back. “But he would. So you are not allowed to die!” She growled. 

“Oh ho!” He laughed. “How precious.” 

“Just regenerate!” She pleaded.

She sighed in relief when she heard the whir of the Tardis engines. The Doctor was back! 

“DOCTOR!” She called desperately, hoping he could hear her from inside the Tardis. 

The Doctor ran out with Donna in tow and they both squatted next to her. 

“No!” Her friend cried and took the Master in his arms. 

“Who did this?” Donna asked quietly. 

Martha gestured to where Lucy was being restrained at the back of the room. 

“Come on! What are you doing? Stay with me, in the Tardis. Hey? You and me?” The Doctor stroked the other Time Lord’s cheeks.

“Your prisoner.” The Master spat out. “I don’t think so.”

“I can teach you. It doesn’t have to be like this. You could be good.” The Doctor pleaded. 

The Master sniffed deeply and winced from the pain. “This is your fault.” He whispered. 

“No! I didn’t know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” The Doctor begged and tears began to fall down his cheeks. 

“You left me to marry your pet.” The Master spat out. “Doctor Doctor, Time Lord who is never on time. This is your fault.”

The Doctor shook his head. “No.”

The Master laughed. “And guess what.” He grinned maliciously. “I win.”

And once more, the Doctor was the last of the Time Lords. 

* * *

The Doctor was no stranger to grief. The last year alone was testament to that. He’d lost the centre of his universe, the one person who seemed to know him for who he really was. He’d thought that pain would be the worst thing he would feel since the fall of Gallifrey. Donna’s mind so silence and non-existent, unable to find her in the world below, unable to feel the beat of her heart against his skin. He had spent the last non-existent year desperately trying to hold himself together and he’d almost been broken by the experience. It was only the tiny glimmer of hope and the last remains of his own moral compass that had kept him fighting. Throughout the last day, the final battle, he’d managed to push his grief into the strongest locked chest in his mind and throw away the key. It was only once he’d been reunited with Donna that he had let it go, let it free, and she had met him halfway as she always did. 

His Donna.

His wife. 

He couldn’t help the small smile that graced his lips at that thought. No more fake marriages, no more pretending and denying they were married. 

He sighed, but the universe hadn’t even let him enjoy that moment. Almost as soon as he had found his hearts once more, he’d lost again. 

He grieved again. 

This time was different though. 

He wasn’t just mourning the loss of his oldest and best friend. No. It could never be that simple. The hope he’d felt when Donna had found the Professor’s fob watch. The shining glittering moment when he’d finally started to believe that he wasn’t alone. 

That he wasn’t the last. 

And then the bittersweet feeling when he’d realised it was his childhood friend and his best enemy. He’d known it would be dangerous but he could never have anticipated that it would have ended like this. 

Fire roaring around him, burning the last shreds of his hope, ash rising high into the air and painting the sky orange, so very reminiscent of his home. 

He was alone. 

He was so alone. 

The last of the Time Lords. 

His curse and his burden.

Donna’s hand slipped into his as they watched the burning pyre together. 

“I know it’s not quite the same, Spaceman, but you aren’t alone.” She breathed quietly into ash filled air. 

He shook his head “Just me now.”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “But that doesn’t mean, oh what would I know. I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what it must feel like.” 

He tilted his head and turned to face her. He knew that wasn’t entirely true. Their emotions and thoughts now flowed freely between them. She wouldn’t completely understand the depth of his pain and weight it left in his hearts but she would feel some kind of echo, just like he could feel her own guilt for leaving him on the Valiant alone. 

She laughed bitterly. “Ok. I guess I can imagine but it’s not the same is it? Just a shadow of what you’re feeling.”

He hummed in agreement. “Yeah.”

“You did all you could. We arrived barely moments after we left.” She insisted.

“It wasn’t enough. I’m never enough.” He hissed and turned away from the pyre. “Come on. Let’s leave him to his grave.”

_You sure? _Donna whispered quietly.

He nodded. _I can’t. I just can’t. _

“Ok. Let’s go.” She brushed her fingers against his cheek and he leaned into her touch. 

“Allons-y.” He laughed quietly and they walked away from the burning pyre of the Master, hand in hand. 

Maybe she was right after all. 

Maybe he wasn’t really alone. 

Not anymore.

* * *

The three of them were back in the town centre of Cardiff. The Tardis was nearby, healing herself using energy from the rift whilst they said goodbye to Captain Jack Harkness. The Doctor had asked his old friend if he wanted to join them in their travels but to everyone’s surprise he’d elected to stay behind in Cardiff with his Torchwood team, but not before dropping the bombshell that he was in fact the Face of Boe. Donna stared after Captain Jack Harkness in shock, trying to come to terms with the fact he was the head in a jar that they’d met on New New Earth but it just didn’t seem right. The Doctor was equally surprised and disbelieving as they exchanged incredulous looks. 

_He was joking right? _Donna asked her husband, smiling at the thought of calling him her husband. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to that. 

_He must be. _The Doctor agreed. _There’s no way. _

_But he knew about the Master. _Donna reminded him. 

_Oh yeah but that would have been old history. _The Doctor countered. _Anyone would have known if they cared enough to look it up. _

“Hey. I’m still here you know?” Martha whacked them both around the back of the head. 

They exchanged a sheepish smile and mumbled an apology in unison. “What does that even mean, Face of Boe?” 

“Oh.” The Doctor scratched the back of neck. “Just an old friend of mine.”

“Big head in a jar.” Donna added with a laugh. “Can’t imagine Captain Vanity over there taking that decision lightly?” 

“Hmm.” The Doctor agreed. “Must have just woken up one morning and gone today’s the day.” 

They both laughed some more and Martha Jones rolled her eyes at them. “You two are ridiculous. What would you have done if he’d agreed to travel with you?”

“Lock our bedroom door probably.” Donna quipped. “And then same old really.”

“All of time and space?” Martha asked.

“All of time and space.” Donna nodded. “Until he gets us stranded, which happens far too much for my liking.”

“Oi!” The Doctor snapped. 

_Oh you love it, Time Boy. _Donna laughed and he grumbled under his breath. 

“So are you really married?” Martha asked as they wandered back towards the Tardis. 

The Doctor practically glowed with happiness next to her. “Oh yes.” He grinned. 

_Tart. _She shot him a fond smile. 

_Always, dear heart. _

_Dearest husband _Donna purred. 

_My beautiful wife. _He replied ardently.

“So when exactly did you have time for that?” Martha asked.

“The perks of having a time machine, Martha Jones.” The Doctor laughed. “I have all the time in the world.”

“And yet he still seems to be always late. It’s a curse.” Donna muttered sarcastically. 

“But after last year, without her. I just couldn’t. I knew I needed her. I couldn’t waste any more time.” The Doctor continued, ignoring her snarking but she could feel his fond mirth through the bond. 

It was incredible how easily the link had snapped into the bond with the knowledge of his name and the Gallifreyan wedding. Donna had expected it to take some getting used to but after the initial headache it was as natural as breathing. It was almost like she’d always had it. She just couldn’t imagine her life without it now. It would feel so empty without the Doctor’s mind brushing up against hers and the gentle flow of emotions between them. At times it was hard to tell which ones were her emotions and which ones were his but he promised that with some practice they’d be able to rebuild any walls that they needed to feel a sense of privacy again. Even married Time Lords needed that, it was just the initially honeymooning that made it difficult to separate. The Doctor theorised that the trauma of her death would have probably made the separation period harder and longer too but she didn’t mind. For now she was quite content for their minds to be almost completely tangled, and she didn’t get as much of a headache any more when he accidentally let the timelines slip into her vision. It was more hypnotic, being able to see the way he viewed the world. 

“And I couldn’t exactly say no. He kept giving me that look, with the puppy eyes.” Donna teased. 

Martha laughed “I know exactly which one you mean!” 

“So how was I supposed to say no?” She winked at her husband who was now pouting at her. She rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek. She whispered his name mentally and delighted at the blush that immediately bloomed on his cheeks. _I love you. _She added in Gallifreyan. The poor alien looked ready to melt after that. 

“Donna.” He growled and pulled her into a deeper kiss.

“Yes husband?” She asked innocently. 

“My wife.” He whispered, his lips brushing her ears and she had to stop a shiver from rolling down her spine. 

“Oh look!” She pulled away, putting some needed distance between their bodies. “Tardis!” She ran happily back to the blue box, grabbing Martha’s hand as she passed. “Come on, Martha! Let’s go home!”

* * *

Home. 

Martha Jones was home. She’d reluctantly said goodbye to Donna and the Doctor, but this time it was for her own benefit rather than theirs. Yes she knew they clearly needed some alone time, they’d barely been able to keep their hands off each other. The Doctor always seemed to be touching her, either holding hands, or stroking her cheek, or resting his hand in the small of her back and Donna had been very much the same. Martha didn’t blame them. She’d suspected that Donna had not been alive during the year that never was but she hadn’t known, not like the Doctor had. He’d been miserable enough when they’d been separated but knowing she’d been dead, that must have destroyed him. 

He really was the bravest man she’d ever met. 

But right now she needed to tend to her family. They were hurting. They were just ordinary people who had never asked to be swept up in the danger that swirled round the Doctor like a hurricane, and it was Martha’s fault that they had a head full of memories that the rest of the world had forgotten. So despite her friends’ protests, Martha had stayed behind as the Tardis whirred out of view. She always hated watching it disappear without her but she knew she’d made the right decision for now, plus they’d promised to pick her up for more adventures every now and then. She wasn’t quite ready to give that life up completely, but now she needed to focus on her exams and on her family. 

“You didn’t have to stay, Martha.” Her mum put her hand on Martha’s shoulder. 

Martha turned to face her mum. She looked exhausted and frail. Martha almost felt sick with guilt. She should have been on the Valiant with her family. It wasn’t fair that she was forced to leave them behind like that but the Doctor had needed her, and she had saved the world, maybe even the universe. Who knows how much damage the Master would have been able to do with the rockets and the war he intended to rage against the rest of the universe. 

“Yeah, I do.” Martha replied sadly. “It was the right thing to do.”

“Don’t you think you’ve earned a break from doing the right thing?” Her mum raised an eyebrow. 

Martha considered this for a moment and then shook her head. “I’m a doctor, Mum. I don’t want a break. I help people. It’s what I’m good at, it’s what I want.” 

“We’ll never forget what you did to help, Martha. Even if no one else remembers.” Her mum pulled her into a hug and Martha smiled. It had been a long time since she’d had the luxury of a mother’s love. She was sad to be leaving the Tardis but right now she needed this, she needed home. 

“Thanks Mum.” She said quietly, not wanting her voice to crack. 

The moment was interrupted by her mobile ringing in her pocket. She muttered an apology to her mum and then glanced down at the screen. It was a withheld number. 

Nevertheless she accepted the call and waited for the caller to speak. 

“Doctor Martha Jones?” A male voice asked. It sounded like an older man. 

“Who’s asking?” She asked sharply.

“Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, Unified Intelligence Taskforce. I have a proposition for you.”

* * *

The Doctor watched as Donna moved around the console of their Tardis. He was hit by a memory from what seemed like so long ago, but really considering his lifespan was barely a wisp of time. Donna moved around the console less confidently in the memory, as she pointed to all the different controls of the ship, trying to remember which one did what. 

Present day Donna moved around the console like she’d been born a Time Lord instead of a human. She lowered the shields to allow him to start working on some of repairs that needed doing. The Paradox Machine had taken a lot out of the old girl and it hadn’t helped that Jack had shot the inside of the Tardis to pieces in his attempt to break the Paradox Machine. 

_Stop gawking at me. _ Donna teased as she looked up from the console and caught his eye. 

“I was just thinking how far you’ve come, since the time lock. Since New New York.” He grinned. “How far we’ve come.”

“God, that seems like so long ago.” Donna sighed wistfully. 

“You didn’t even want to share bed with me!” He acted offended but they both knew he was joking. _And now look at us, Bella Donna. _

“Married!” She trilled happily and danced around the console until she stood next to him and he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his nose in the crook of her neck. She still smelled like warm vanilla and strawberries but since the transfusion there had been a definite hint of one of the flowers that only grew on Gallifrey. It just made her even more irresistible to him. 

“And you know where the shields are now.” He laughed and then pulled back just enough so he could watch the twinkle in her eyes. 

“No more emergency protocol one for me.” Donna agreed. “Where would that even take me? My home is here, with you.” She frowned at the thought.

“Still Chiswick.” He replied apologetically. “Worst case scenario. I would need you to be safe with your family until I can come and get you but I promise not to activate it unless you agree.” He rested his forehead against hers. 

“Promise?” She asked. 

“I swear.” He replied in Gallifreyan, echoing it mentally across their bond. 

She reached up to kiss him and he hummed happily into the kiss. He really would never get used to kissing Donna Noble, it was almost overwhelming now. The bond created a sort of feedback loop where their love for each other flooded between them like a tsunami, but still he wouldn’t change it for the world. 

“Where to then, Spaceman?” She asked with a smirk. 

“Anywhere we like!” He grinned and together they pushed down on the lever that would send them spiralling into the vortex. 

But as soon as the lever had been pushed, the alarms started ringing. 

“What?” He asked as he looked around the ship. 

“Doctor, what’s going on?” Donna asked, looking as confused as he felt. 

“Ah, stop it!” He yelled to his ship as he spun round to check the monitors. “What was all that about, eh? Eh? What's your problem?”

“Doctor.” Donna snapped and he looked up to meet her gaze. She was staring pointedly across the console. 

“Ooh.” He replied as he spotted what she was looking at, or rather who. “Oh I see.”

“Right, just settle down now.” A man in a beige cricket outfit muttered to himself, seemingly oblivious to the sudden new arrivals in his Tardis. 

“Spaceman, that’s…”

“I know.” He nodded. 

“But that’s.” 

“Yup.” He agreed. 

“That’s you!” Donna shouted out. 

His younger self finally looked up at the sound of her voice. His head throbbed as their eyes met and he was hit by a memory that he’d forgotten about completely, memories were always funny when he ran into himself but he’d been here before. He’d seen this, although strangely he had no memory of seeing Donna. He’d definitely been alone before. 

“Who are you?” His younger self glared up at him. 

“Oh this is brilliant!” He grinned between his wife and his younger self. “This is just brilliant!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada!! 
> 
> That's it! 
> 
> For now. Obviously there's a set up for a sequel which I have not started yet but I have plans and good intentions. That counts right? 
> 
> Let me know what you think and thanks for sticking by until the end. <3 
> 
> \- Yaz 
> 
> (Ps. if anyone catches the reference to my new fandom then you get a gold star)


End file.
